Searching for a Saviour
by UnicornsThatGamble
Summary: After Ace becomes a well known pirate, Foosha Village is taken over by a Celestial Dragon aiming to make the whole town a slave market. Luffy, being labeled as a Devil for being related to the notorious Fire Fist Ace, barely escapes with his life. Now he has only two goals in mind; find Ace and save the village
1. Chapter 1

**IM BACK BITCHES**

 **Literally been working on this chapter since Kidnapped ended cause im a lazy personnnnnn.**

 **There may be some minor changes that didn't happen in cannon so beware yo.**

 **DISCLAIMER**

"Bye Luffy! Next time you see me we'll both be pirates!" Ace, seventeen years old, shouts as his boat drifts further into the sea.

"I'll be much stronger by then too! You just wait! I'll beat you!" Fourteen-year-old Luffy shouts back, one hand cupping the side of his face and the other waving madly.

"Bye Ace!"

"We'll look for you in the newspapers!"

"Don't forget to write!"

Makino, the mayor and the bandits all wave along with Luffy, shouting their goodbyes until they were but specs in the distance to Ace.

Ace stops waving and grips his hat to keep it from blowing off. He gazes fondly at the island he grew up on, taking in it's features before he leaves and doesn't see it for a longtime.

 _'Maybe never again...'_ He thinks to himself. The call to adventure may be so great that he wouldn't ever want to return to the boring clump of dirt full of snotty nobles. The ocean was also a dangerous place, and he could perish at any moment.

Ace shakes his head to clear it. He's supposed to be worried about Luffy, not himself. That idiot got into more trouble than it was worth.

 _"Are you sure you're alright with me going?"_

 _"Ace! Stop being annoying! We promised Sabo we would leave at seventeen years old!"_

 _"But what if you get hurt?"_

 _"There's the bandits and Makino."_

 _"What if you have trouble hunting boars, or you run into the tiger lord?"_

 _"I'm stronger now Ace."_

 _"But what if-"_

 _"Ace!" Ace groaned then walked up to Luffy, pulling him tightly into a hug. He placed his chin on Luffy's head and sighed deeply._

 _"I'm sorry Lu, I'm just a paranoid older brother." Luffy chuckled and hugged Ace back._

 _"Don't worry about me. It's time you had fun for yourself. Start the path to your dream and live life with no regrets!" Ace kissed the top of his brother's head and squeezed him tighter._

 _"Thanks Lu."_

Ace keeps watching as the island shrinks more and more into the distance. When the treetops finally disappear from his view, he turns to the horizon and feels the buzz of excitement running through his veins.

It was time to start _his_ adventures.

Luffy waves until he can't see Ace anymore, a wide grin remaining on his face. As soon as he disappears Luffy runs into the forest.

"Luffy! Where are you going?" Makino asks him. Luffy screeches to a halt, kicking up dust near his feet.

"To train of course! I can't let myself be beaten by Ace!" He says as if it's completely obvious.

"Why don't you come with us..." The mayor trails off when he notices Luffy already left, crashing through the forest. The mayor sighs and Makino giggles.

"Come on everyone, let's go celebrate Ace's departure at the Party Bar. My treat!" Makino says happily. The bandits cheer and they all go to drink all night long.

* * *

 _Two weeks later_

At the Party Bar, Makino stands behind the counter drying a beer glass. In front of her is the mayor, sipping a cup of coffee instead of an alcoholic beverage.

"I swear the next time Garp visits which is in..." The mayor looks around Makino to the calendar behind her. "...three months, he's going to have a heart attack." Makino places the cup away into a cupboard and takes another from the sink.

"Ace-kun and Luffy-kun are only following their dreams." She says. Woop Slap snorts.

"Becoming pirates isn't a dream. They'll turn into tyrants!"

"They aren't that different from tyrants now, am I right?" She argues with an amused smile. Woop Slap leans back into the stool and takes a big gulp of his coffee.

"With Ace gone Garp is going to put double the amount of 'training' into Luffy." Makino giggles and Woop Slap stands, digging his hand in his pocket for money. Makino holds a hand up to him.

"On the house today Mayor." Woop Slap thanks her and exits through swinging doors. Not even a few seconds later, a group of sketchy looking people stomp in arrogantly.

"We want sake!" One of them demands, waving a finger in the air.

"Right away sir." Makino hurries to get their drinks and places them quickly on their table. There is about five of them, and they drink in a tight circle talking to each other rather quietly. It strikes Makino as odd from their loud entrance, but she dismisses her suspicions. They were customers!

Makino returns to her original position drying glasses but keeps a careful eye on them in case they wanted anything. Suddenly the doors burst open and Luffy stands there in all his glory.

"Makino! I need meat!" He declares loudly. Makino chuckles and nods to the stool in front of the bar.

"Come sit down then." Luffy bounds over to the bar and bounces eagerly in his seat.

Luffy stiffens when he feels eyes on his neck. He peers around his shoulder to the men at the far corner of the room. They all seem to look at him and Luffy keeps his back to them, uncomfortable. An inkling of recognition runs through him as he thinks about their appearance.

"Is that the kid?" One whispers, but Luffy can hear it clearly in the empty bar.

"No doubt about it, he has the straw hat on his head."

"Then he's related to the other one."

"We knew hangin' around here was a good idea, people's been sayin' they've seen him come around here a lot." Luffy shifts on his stool in discomfort, trying to ignore them.

"Here you go Luffy!" Makino places the large steak in front of Luffy and he brightens up a bit. He eats it quickly, but nowhere near his normal pace.

Eventually the group leaves and Luffy sighs in relief. Makino notices his behavior and leans on the bar, elbows propping her head up.

"Is there something wrong Luffy-kun?" She asks, a thoughtful look on her face. Luffy reluctantly meets her gaze then swallows the remainder of his steak.

"I think I know who they are. I've seen those people doing dirty jobs for the nobles in High Town." He says. Makino tilts her head in confusion.

"But I thought nobles don't like to associate with, um..."

"Commoners? Even though they're too 'dirty' that makes them perfect to do the jobs that nobles don't wanna do." He shrugs. Makino's mouth goes taut and she takes his plate away to wash.

"But what's got you so upset?" Luffy shuffles uncomfortably.

"It's not normal for them to come around Foosha Village. They usually stay around Low Town and Grey Terminal." Makino dunks the mugs into the sink and begins scrubbing them.

"Well if what you say is true and they do usually stay in Low Town then they shouldn't be coming around anymore." Luffy hesitates, but decides to believe her. With a smile he changes the subject and talks to her about his latest fighting move.

In the months that pass, Luffy trains hard despite his brother being gone. In this time, he sees Ace's wanted poster in the newspaper.

"No way! Ace joined another pirate crew?" Luffy exclaims as he reads his brother joined the Whitebeard pirates. Why wouldn't he be a captain?

"I guess Ace must really like them!" Luffy laughs. As long as Ace found a nice crew who made him happy, what was there to complain about?

* * *

On another side of the island up in High Town, a noble was reading the very same paper Luffy was. He looks at the wanted poster in disgust as he recognizes the smirking face.

"So, Gol. D Roger's little admirer has finally made his mark on the world." The noble sneers. It was not that hard to identify that the pirate in the paper was the former rodent who scrounged around High Town.

 _Flashback_

 _Boris turned the corner of the dirty streets in a hurry. He stumbled over the puddled pavement but held his pace, gripping several books to his chest in fear of dropping them._

 _His master was already angry at him for retrieving the wrong books, if he dropped the right ones now he would be severely punished._

'Maybe he'll beat me with the pipe this time...' _Boris thought with a gulp. The sound of boisterous laughter in between nearby shops made him slow down to look._

 _At the back of the alley was a group of gruffly looking men laughing and patting each other on the back. What made Boris's eyes widen was a small child, no older than ten, glaring at them with shaking fists._

 _What startled Boris was the boy's eyes. They were full of darkness and hate that only burned brighter whenever the men spoke. But something about the child was familiar to him, he just couldn't put his finger on it._

 _"What if Roger had a son?" The child asked quietly._

 _"If Roger had a son? Well, he should die of course! Just like his son of a bitch father!" One junkie cackled._

 _"Rot in hell is more like it, he would he the biggest sin on this earth!" Boris noticed how deadly calm the boy suddenly seemed._

 _"Don't know what whore would make_ that _." The child seemed to snap at that comment and punched the guy in the face._

 _"Hey!" Another shouted in protest but soon received a blow to the gut, making him topple to the ground._

 _As the boy progressed in defeating them all, that's when the servant remembered him. He has seen this event play out before, every week in fact. The same boy would ask the same question and receive the same answer which would end up with the same results, someone getting beat up._

 _When the child bolted away from the scene so did Boris, deciding he took too much time observing._

 _Flashback done_

The servant had informed him about that child after Sabo died, remembering the incident when they once saw Portgas in town.

Outlook hates that child. And his little companion. It was their fault he lost an heir to his family and caused him massive embarrassment amongst the members of high society.

He hates those rats with a passion and always wanted to dispose of them. Outlook even took the time spreading rumours about the 'Devil Children' around town, in hopes that someone would kill them on sight.

However, a recent turn of events has occurred. One of the brats who he now knows as Portgas D. Ace has become a well known pirate away from this island. That would mean no revenge for him.

There was the younger one though. He hasn't seen the boy in awhile and lost track of him.

But recently a small group of bandits had come across him in Foosha Village on the edge of the island. They said that he came down there regularly to talk to a barmaid. A sly grin stretches across Outlook's face.

Satisfied with himself, he uncrosses his legs, sets his tea down and picks up the snail phone.

He has a Celestial Dragon to call.

* * *

Luffy finds himself walking into Makino's bar like he has done every day now. Without Ace around it gets pretty lonely.

"Hey Makino," he begins as he plops on the stool in front of the bar. Makino is washing the dishes but she makes a hum to let him know he's got her attention.

"Has Gramps stopped by at all?" He asks while placing his head in his hands, wearing a troubled expression on his face.

"No, he hasn't." She answers honestly. "I'm actually quite surprised, Garp-san usually comes around now every few months." Luffy only shrugs then grins widely.

"Shishishi at least I wont have to go through 'training' for awhile!" _'Or fist of love...'_

Suddenly the swinging doors bang open, grabbing the attention of Makino and Luffy. A man stumbles through the door, pausing to catch his breath. Makino rushes from around the bar to the gasping man.

"Are you okay Hans?" She asks, a little confused over his outburst. With wide eyes he looks up at them.

"The nobles are here! They want everyone outside right now! Apparently they're looking for someone." He bursts.

"Nobles?" Luffy's face screws up in confusion and disgust.

"That's not all, they have a Celestial Dragon with them!" Luffy immediately feels a spark of anger. Those dragon whatever's are the ones who killed Sabo.

"I've got to go now Makino! They said they would kill my family if I didn't spread the word." With that, he scampers out of the bar to the house across the street. Makino peeks from the doorway to get a glimpse of the incoming nobles.

The small population of Foosha was crowded on both sides of the street, ranging from crying infants to grumpy old fishermen. A sliver of fright goes into her heart and she turns back to Luffy. Sensing the boy's hostility, Makino tells him to stay put.

"Don't come out until I tell you it's safe!" Then she walks out the door, down the road and stands next to the hairdresser of the town, exchanging whispers.

Luffy being Luffy couldn't sit still and disobeys Makino by sneakily looking outside. He sees the villagers stiff with fear and suspicion huddling on either side of the road watching a plump figure strutting in the center.

 _'Must be the dragon guy.'_ Luffy thinks angrily. He looks a little off to the side and notices another figure walking slightly behind the Celestial Dragon. His eyes widen slightly in shock then narrow in anger when he recognizes Sabo's dad.

"Who is this boy again?" Luffy hears the Celestial Dragon ask. He sounds slightly bored and his face is screwed up in a permanent scowl. Outlook seems surprised to be addressed and coughs to clear his throat.

"A close friend, or perhaps _brother_ of the notorious Fire Fist Ace." He reminds the high noble with an excited yet quiet tone. The Celestial Dragon grunts in understanding, but has a glint of excitement in his eyes.

Luffy's anger bubbles up at the second but evaporates when he sees Makino approaching the men tentatively. She put on a kind smile, but Luffy could see her hands shaking.

"Is there something you gentlemen need?" She asks, her smile not faltering. Suddenly the Celestial Dragon slaps Makino across the face with the butt of his gun. She falls to the ground with a startled yelp and cradles her reddened cheek with her hand.

"You inferior filth! I am Saint Garlow! You cannot just talk to me whenever you please, nor look me in the eye!" He spat. Luffy immediately abandons his hiding spot and charges into the square, helping Makino stand up.

"Luffy!" Makino hisses to him quietly, surprised and concerned that he came. Outlook immediately lights up and he points to Luffy eagerly.

"That's him! That's the boy!" The Celestial Dragon looks Luffy over for a second then snaps his fingers.

"Guards! Grab him!" Suddenly marines pour out from the docks and grab his arms, leaving him immobile. Luffy struggles against them in vain, immensely confused of what's happening.

"What are you doing!"

"Let Luffy go!" The town erupts into protests, advancing towards the marines holding Luffy captive. The marine pulls out a sword and holds it close to Luffy's neck, making the town freeze on the spot.

"Don't come any closer!" The marine warns. With everything still and quiet, Saint Garlow waltzes up to Luffy. He places his hands on his hips and scrutinizes Luffy's face.

"So this is the devil child's brother..." He mutters. Luffy feels slightly confused. Was he talking about Ace? Luffy glares at the ugly noble.

"Ace is not a devil child!" He spat. Luffy was going to continue but the guard flashed the sword at him, silencing him. The Celestial Dragon turns back to the town and clears his throat.

"I hereby decree that this town is guilty of harbouring demons. Foosha Village is now a sin on this earth!" The noble proclaims. He turns his back to the townspeople and snaps his fingers.

"This whole village will be my slaves to keep and sell. Guards, empty their houses of valuables and get them in cages for now." The guards take a step towards the citizens.

"You can't!"

Saint Garlow turns back to a lone villager who has a desperate look on his face.

"You can't take this town; it's protected by Vice Admiral Garp the Fist!" The town murmurs their agreement. But the noble merely scratches his stomach with a bored expression.

"I don't know and don't care who that is, the navy works for me." The man takes a step back, defeated.

"This town will become a buying market," the Celestial Dragon continues. "any noble can pass by and buy the slave they want. Since I own you all, I will be in charge."

The clearing is silent, taking the words in. Luffy's mouth is slightly agape and his eyes are wide. A woman shrieks in horror and the citizens start to flee.

"Guards! Round them up immediately!" Saint Garlow demands, veins popping from his forehead.

The marines charge forward to apprehend the villagers by force. Outlook smirks as they are being beaten and dragged to the center of the square where they were chained.

Luffy struggles against the arms holding him and bites one hard. The marine screams and lets go, making it easy for Luffy to wrench his arm out of the others hand.

"You brat!" The guards leap at him and he ducks at the first punch. He kicks one in the face and sends him flying across the clearing. Luffy ducks just in time to avoid a sword slicing where his head was.

He bounds back up and lands an uppercut to the grunts jaw. The marine falls to the ground unconscious and Luffy dusts his hands in satisfaction.

"I'm not weak you know." He tells them with mocking disappointment. Luffy looks to the center of the square and sees that most of the villagers have been caught with only a few squabblers. He charges towards them getting ready to pry the chains off.

"Stop-" something grabs Luffy's ankle and he face plants on the dirt. He tries to push up on his elbows but to his surprise more and more weight was being added to his back. If it weren't for his devil fruit he would have suffocated.

When a hand lands in front of his face he realizes the marines were dog piling him.

"Get off of him!" Makino shouts from the group in the center. Several more protests and yells of concern were sent until they yank him from under the pile.

As soon as he snaps back into his original form, something clamps on his wrist and immediately drains his energy. Luffy couldn't find the strength to fight back as they tossed him to Makino.

"Luffy-kun! Are you okay?" She asks, concerned. Makino looks like she's about to cry. He nods weakly in response. Luffy turns his attention to his new shackle and tries to pry it off, but as soon as he grips it he feels his strength deplete significantly.

Luffy feebly looks around and notices their all huddled like cattle. The marines are surrounding them at gunpoint, preventing them from escaping along with the chains that bound most of them. Just behind the marines stood Outlook, scanning the area.

"There is also a lot of these rats in and around grey terminal who can be put into the collection." He suggests to the Celestial Dragon. Luffy's stomach falls. The bandits are out there.

The high noble waves his hand and grunts in acknowledgement. He walks to the forest with several guards. Outlook smirks evilly at Luffy as he follows behind.

Suddenly the guards grab his arms and he is wrenched out of the crowd. Since the bracelet is sapping his strength he can't put up much of a fight. Luffy could only kick weakly as they drag him away. He looks to the citizens and sees they are being treated in a similar manner. One guard picks Makino up roughly and begins dragging her.

"Leave Makino alo-!" He is cut off as they toss him in what appears to be a giant cage that already holds a good amount of people. The marines shove a few more citizens in it and close the door when Makino is pushed in.

"Luffy!" She quickly wades through the crowd and hugs Luffy tightly to her chest. He hugs her back and looks outside the cage where there were several more enclosures filled with people.

Luffy silently hopes they wouldn't be kept in this cramped space for long as they could all barely fit. Beside him is a mother holding her crying baby while huddling against the corner. With pitying eyes, he watches as she tries to soothe him but fails continuously. Luffy angrily went against the bars.

"Hey! Let us out of here! It's too cramped!" He shouts to the nearest guards.

"Shut your trap devil! You'll be in a proper facility soon once we start deconstruction." The guards laugh and walk away, leaving more people distraught.

"What do they mean deconstruction?"

"Their going to destroy my home?"

"Mommy they can't do that! The dolly papa gave me is at home!" More children start to cry and the parents try their best to soothe them, struggling to keep their own emotions in check.

Luffy sags to the ground and presses his palms to his eyes. Makino kneels down and strokes his hair.

"Luffy-kun?" She asks. But to her surprise Luffy's shoulders were shaking.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry everyone it's my fault!" Makino pulls him into a hug and shakes her head.

"No Luffy, you have done nothing. Please don't blame yourself!" Makino pleads. The hairdresser, Wanda, that Makino was talking to previously kneels down to Luffy.

"She's right! It's that damn nobles fault!" More people offer their support to Luffy, not blaming him for their capture but Luffy still can't help but feel bad. One man turns around and shakes his head in anger.

"He's only a child, he shouldn't have to feel this way."

* * *

They spend the entire day and night in those cages, huddling for warmth and ignoring their growling stomachs. But the next day was one of deep sadness.

That was the day they watched their village burn.

Nothing was spared, not even Makino's bar that Luffy had visited since he could remember. He felt a part of himself crumble as it collapsed on itself.

* * *

"Get your damn hands off me!" Luffy's head shot up at the familiar gruffly voice. Dadan and the rest of the bandits bound by chains were being led to the cages. Upon further inspection Luffy saw other people he recognized scouring Grey Terminal were also caught.

As the bandits pass, Luffy flashes them a brief but guilty glance. However, Dadan looks relieved when she sees him, but it left as quick as it came.

The marines shove them into an already crowded cage and Magra beat against the bars with his fists.

"If you think you can keep us in here you're sadly mistaken." Dadan warns, biting on a cigarette.

* * *

Day in and out the citizens grow more and more restless in the cages. The guards are often asked when the facility would be built so they could get some breathing room. But every time they would just laugh in their faces.

After the third day the celestial dragon struts up to the cages freshly bathed and fed.

"You will now be released from your cages." There were some gasps of shock and sags of relief.

"Where is the place we're supposed to stay?" one man shouts. The celestial dragon's face turns up in disgust and he points to a nearby marine. The marine walks up to the man and smacks him in the face with the butt of his gun. The man falls back and the inhabitants of the cage back away.

"Do not speak to me you filth! There is no _place_ for you to be locked up. You will be building it yourselves so I do not have to waste marines." He snaps and the marines approach the first cage.

"Don't try anything funny." The grunt warns, opening the cage. But as soon as the door creaks open, a man shoots out and makes a beeline for the forest. Desperate from minimal food and water, the man is too fast for the marines to chase.

"Shoot him! Shoot him now!" Saint Garlow demands. Several marines hold up their rifles and shoot an array of bullets, all hitting their target.

Makino gasps and covers Luffy's eyes so he wouldn't see. He was about to protest that he has seen these kinds of things before, but he let her try and protect him.

No one tries to escape after that. They let themselves be led silently out of their cages and set to work. The citizens all work quickly and effectively despite their lack of food; one piece of bread and one glass of water per day under the hot sun.

"Here Luffy," Makino pushes her piece of bread to Luffy while taking a gulp of her water.

"Have mine." She says as she wipes her mouth. She did this on some days, but in the end Luffy always gave his portions to her. He was hungry, more so than usual, but he was glad Makino was getting more to eat.

They would get beat if they worked too slow or did something wrong. This usually consisted to a kick in the face or a smack with a gun. No breaks were given, even for the mothers who had to work with babies strapped to their chests.

And it wasn't just the marines who beat the newly made slaves. The Celestial Dragon would look upon their progress and deal blows when he saw somebody slacking off.

At some point or another people started to rebel, destroying parts of the complex or outright attacking the marines. However, those who rebelled were taken and never returned, so everyone kept their intense hatred a secret.

* * *

"You get treated _extra_ special today devil brat."

The marine socks Luffy in the gut, making him bend forward and wheeze painfully. He was tied to a pole with his arms spread to both sides of his body.

"Oh? You don't like that? Well have some more then!" The marine launches another and another and another punch at Luffy and eventually his allies come to assist in the beating. He tries to hold in the tears and screams of pain but it was really difficult.

Even though he was at the brink of unconsciousness he could see the sympathetic looks of the townspeople as they walk by. They want to help, but know very well that as soon as they open their mouths a bullet would be there faster than the speed of light.

Luffy closes one eye as a punch hits him particularly hard in the abdomen. That's when he sees Makino looking at him straight on with an enraged expression. Abandoning her work, she starts striding towards him with the intention of freeing Luffy.

Alarm courses through him and he hisses loudly at Makino. The marines mistake it for pain and laugh mockingly. Makino stops and they meet eyes in a silent mental battle.

Luffy's eyes urge her to turn away and not get shot in the face. But she can't take seeing this anymore. To Luffy's luck, Wanda approaches Makino and places a hand on her shoulder. Wanda leans in and murmurs something in her ear and to Luffy's relief, Makino backs away but would not tear her gaze from his form.

He ends up staying on that pole for two days straight; worse than the regular which only lasts a few hours with minimal provisions. When the two days were up they let him down and ordered him to return to work.

"Luffy come here..." Luffy stumbles over to Makino and they both sit behind a stack of wood. She reaches for her dress and tears a chunk off the hem.

"You have to stop drawing attention to yourself Luffy!" She warns in a whisper, tying the cloth around his bruises. "You know they dislike you more because you're Ace-kun's brother."

"Bu-*cough* but Makino I'm not going to be ashamed of Ace and how can I just stand by while they beat on our friends!?" It's torturous watching his friends and neighbours being beat to the ground and not doing anything about it.

"Luffy you're only fourteen..." She scolds. _'He still feels guilty.'_

"My age doesn't matter! I'll kick all their asses as long as it saves someone else a beating!" Makino just sighs and tends to his wounds, frequently glancing around to spot any guards. She finishes wrapping and helps him up to a standing position.

"Let's go organize those boards, it will cause you less strain." Makino leads Luffy to their station and they set to work.

"I promise Makino," she looks at Luffy curiously.

"I'll get us out of here so we can be free again. So don't worry about me!" He turns to her and grins widely, the first smile she's seen since they became slaves.

Makino smiles and kisses the top of his head.

"Thank you Luffy."

* * *

After long grueling weeks the prison was built and all the slaves were hooked up to chains in the cells. Each cell held around six people and it was rather small with minimal walking space.

It didn't take long for nobles to come strolling in from high town to select a slave or two for their "collection".

It was a sad scene when one of their own was dragged away to a guaranteed horrible life. At least one other person would break down into sobs about how they were a husband, sister or father.

Luffy would cling to Makino at those times, trying to keep her away from the men who would potentially buy her. She wouldn't say anything, Makino only stroked his hair and pulled him close.

* * *

Luffy almost jumps through the bars and bites the ugly disgusting man who wouldn't stop looking at Makino like she was a piece of meat. Makino shuffles uncomfortably under the gaze and Luffy continues to glare.

Suddenly, an idea springs to mind and Luffy leans over to whisper into Makino's ear. Her face screws up in confusion as he speaks.

"Make an ugly face." She breaks away and looks at him weird.

"Just trust me." Then Luffy turns his face into the weirdest thing Makino's ever seen in her life. Glancing at the noble she sees how he looks at Luffy in disgust and understands.

Makino complies with Luffy's request and makes herself look as un-speakingly ugly as possible.

Luckily, the noble seems to quickly change his mind about his selection and walks away with a snort muttering about "mental ones." As soon as he was gone, they both sigh then start to giggle.

At least they didn't have to worry about being bought.

* * *

"You're supposed to be a marine ain't ya? Then why are you hurting the _public_?"

It was late at night and the slaves were settling down to get some rest after another painful day.

That was until one of the men snaps and starts berating the guards. Everyone is awake and stare wide eyed at the one who can't handle it any longer.

"You good for nothing son of a bitch what kind of hero are you?! If I get out of here I'll make sure to burn the marine base to the ground!" He sneers to the guard now standing in front of his cage.

"Tanner! Stop it!" Someone hisses behind him.

"Yeah do you have a death wish?" Another whispers furiously. But Tanner gives no indication that he hears them. Unfortunately, he should have listened because the marine shoots him on the spot with a bullet right through the head.

Somebody screams as the body falls with a sickening thud. With blood pooling everywhere it was expected that the guard take the man away, but he merely leaves the body there and walks on. The people sharing the bloody cell scramble back to avoid the new corpse.

"We need to escape! This is no place for my baby!" Shouts a skinny woman cradling her still child. Mumbles and shouts of agreement ripple through the men and women.

"How the hell are we gonna do that?" Luffy recognizes Dadan's now scratchy voice. Everyone breaks into murmurs with their cellmates.

"Maybe Luffy can squeeze through the bars with his powers and free us!" One man suggests. The room goes quiet and everyone save Makino all look at him questioningly. Luffy's head shrinks down in shame.

"I can't. They put this weird bracelet on me that makes my powers disappear. I'm sorry everyone." An old man with a scraggly beard in the cell in front of Luffy stands.

"It's alright boy, it was merely a suggestion. We shouldn't have thought to burden you when you are already being treated the worst out of us." Luffy nods his head but keeps a troubled expression.

"So what are we going to do now?" He asks. Makino places a comforting hand on his head.

"If someone could make a distraction then we could knock a guard out from the back and steal his keys." A skinny woman suggests. The man beside her nods his head eagerly.

"Then we can riot and head towards Low Town to hide. Maybe around Grey Terminal if there's good enough hiding spots." A teenage boy, no older than 17 speaks up.

"Who can still fight?" He asks. "We're all pretty weak after this. Are we enough to take down fully trained marines?" Silence stretches out before them. Luffy was about to speak up when Dadan snorts.

"Of course I can fight, what do you take us bandits for?" The rest of the bandit's cheer in agreement. A man around forty years old stands up.

"I carry 70 pound sacks of flour everyday. I think a few skimpy marines wouldn't be a problem." He cracks his knuckles ominously.

More volunteers pile up, and with that they have enough for a riot.

* * *

The next day after their regular work shift, the slaves are all being led to their respective cells in heavy silence.

"You're all a quiet bunch today." A marine comments as he locks the remainder of Luffy's group in their cell.

"Finally resigning to your fate huh?" The marine snickers, prodding Dadan forward with the butt of his gun. The two marines in the room start laughing.

Suddenly Dadan halts and blocks the path down the hallway. The marine taps her with the gun none too pleased.

"What are you doing you slave? Get moving!" He shouts at her, but she stays rooted to the spot with her back to him.

"He didn't give you orders to stop! Have you got brain damage?" The other marine turns his attention from his previous spot to Dadan.

The slaves waiting behind Dadan and the guards exchange looks, realizing their opening. With them distracted, the muscular slave from before smacks the guards over the head with a heavy pipe. They drop to the ground with a thud out cold.

"Get the keys!" A slave behind bars shouts. The burly slave scoops up the keys and runs from door to door freeing the captives.

"Thank you! Thank you!" A woman with two children in hand bows in gratitude when her cage is opened.

"Don't thank me yet lady, we've got to get out of here." He says gravely. He then turns to Luffy and examines his wrist cuffs.

"Do you think any of those keys will work?" Luffy asks with big eyes. The slaves are milling around, meeting up with loved ones and trapping the two unconscious guards in cells.

"I'm not sure..." He trails off looking through the key ring, but finding no key small enough to fit in the lock.

"Sorry kid. We'll try and break those things off of you as soon as we get out of here." He says, placing a reassuring hand on Luffy's shoulder. Luffy smiles up at him and hugs him.

"Thanks Old man! Shishishi!" He giggles. The man blushes lightly but lets himself be embraced.

"It's Trevor." He corrects as Luffy releases him. Luffy grins even wider if that's possible and tips his hat.

"Nice to meet you Tractor! The names Monkey D. Luffy and I'm going to be the Pirate King!" He declares. Makino giggles at his side.

"It's Trevor..." He corrects but it goes unheard by Luffy when he turns away.

"Let's get out of here!" He yells and they do a battle cry in response. The slave group bolts through the door and zooms through corridors.

"Escapees! Guards! Capture them!" One grunt yells when he spots the group. The armed marines stream out of rooms and hallways straight for them.

"Get ready to fight!" Trevor is the first to break from the pack and punch out two marines immediately. Everyone including Makino all storm the guards, forming a full blown riot.

The nobles who were visiting all cower to the walls, terrified of the commotion. Amongst those nobles is Saint Garlow, speaking low and urgent into a snail phone. Suddenly a large explosion goes off and people scream in terror.

"We're doomed!"

"How did they get an admiral here?" Dread piles up in Luffy's stomach when he sees a large admiral at the other end of the large hallway. He's a devil fruit user by the looks of it, with magma spurting out of his hands and body.

"By the name of justice, I will get you all!" He booms. Just then he sends magma straight out of his hands into nearby slaves. Everyone is scattering, terrified at the display but the admiral is faster catching and killing some who slip out of his path.

Luffy is looking on enraged that all of his friends are dying or being kept here. He takes a step forward about to face the man when Makino grabs his arm and leads him down a series of hallways as far away from the scene as possible.

"Makino let go! He's destroying everyone!" He protests while yanking his arm.

"Not now Luffy-kun. You can't beat him, I'm sorry but it's impossible." She says solemnly, shaking her head.

"But I'm strong Makino! I can-"

"You can't!" He's shocked into silence at Makino's outburst. A wall explodes nearby.

"You're not going to risk your life for a hopeless cause. I'm not letting you die, I promised Ace-kun I'd look after you and I will. Are we understood?" She says staring directly in his eyes. He nods slowly and notices for the first time the people around them.

"What are we going to do now?" Wanda asks. Her perfectly curly hair is now frizzed and charred at the edges.

"We need to make a run for it." The woman with her crying baby says. The old man next to her nods and takes the baby from her. A grandparent apparently.

"Where to?" He asks while bouncing the child. They all look around.

"If I remember correctly we are near the main forum and the boiler room. If we head to the right, there should be an exit." The woman says, rubbing her chin in thought. Luffy beckons them and they stride towards the first corner.

Luffy and the old man stick their heads out and see the passage is empty of any incoming marines.

"The coast is clear, let's go!" Luffy hisses. Everything seems to be going fine, they are making a straight shot to the next hallway without leeway.

All of a sudden magma shoots out from the wall ahead of them, spilling all over the ground and blocking their path. The woman screams and Luffy and Makino stick their arms out to keep from falling into the lava.

"You can't escape me!" The admiral booms, his ball cap shadowing his raging eyes. He sends out another surge of lava and they all jump out of the way. The old man made a yelping noise as his foot got singed.

"Why are the marines doing this to us?! We haven't done anything wrong! It's the nobles who caused the destruction!" Wanda hollers. She steadily walks closer to the raging marine.

"Wanda wait!" The other woman warns, reaching out for her friend. But the admiral struck fast, swinging a fist at Wanda and knocking her into the wall. They all gape as she slides to the floor with a thump.

"Wanda!" The old man shouts in concern. He grips the baby tighter as the little tike starts to whimper.

"How could you?!" The woman yells. She grabs a pipe that had fallen on the floor and rushes up to him, aiming to strike his head.

"Stop Julia! You have your child to think about!" The old man shouts. He runs after Julia to stop her.

"Stop resisting and cooperate! Face the consequences for going against the law!" The admiral swings his massive hand and magma surrounds the floor around the two.

"Grunts!" He booms. "Come take these scum away!" Marines come out from the halls behind him.

"Yes Admiral Akainu, sir!" They chant in unison. Makino grabs Luffy's wrist and backs them up slowly, much to Luffy's annoyance. He wants to beat this guy!

 _'But Makino...'_ He thought guiltily. He can't leave her defenseless. However as he looks to the marines dragging an unconscious Wanda, injured father, daughter, and baby he felt more rage pour into his stomach.

"Sir! That's the devil child!" One marine shouts, pointing directly at them. They freeze on the spot as Akainu stands up a little straighter, looking down at the pair intimidatingly.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten about him." He says, raising a magma fist. Needing to get Makino out of there, Luffy spins around and grasps her upper arm.

"Let's go!" He shouts. Not needing to be told twice, she hurtles down the hallway with Luffy.

"Where do you think your going?" Akainu teases. He holds his fists in the air and shoots magma meteors towards them. Luffy shoots forward and pulls Makino around the corner just as the magma balls land on their previous spot.

"Keep moving!" He urges her. They run down the path that they came from, winding and twisting through the series of hallways. Magma rivers and beams shoot around them, destroying the walls and high ceilings.

Panting, Makino looks behind her and is shocked to see that the admiral and his subordinates are close.

When they round another corner, Makino pushes Luffy into the nearest room. He turns around, waiting for her to come too but she is closing the door. Luffy quickly sticks his foot in the door, stopping her from leaving.

"Makino? What are you doing?" He asks confusedly, sliding his foot back into place. She sighs and closes the door further so only a crack remains.

"Go call Garp-san, there's a Den-Den-Mushi on the desk over there. I'll be a distraction to buy you time."

"But Makino! I can't let you do that!" He protests with pleading eyes. She shakes her head no.

"If anyone will help us, it's Garp-san. Good luck Luffy-kun!" With that she closes the door and Luffy hears the click of the lock behind her.

 _'No no no no no no no no!'_ Luffy is about to go after her when he hears the crashing footsteps of the admiral right outside his door. Luffy stiffens as the footsteps stop.

He is careful not to take a breath as the door knob slowly turns. A loud crash destroys the silence and Luffy jumps a little on the spot. He hears a shout from the admiral and they leave him behind.

 _'That's probably Makino!'_ Luffy scrambles for the Den-den-Mushi. The faster he calls for help, the faster he can get back to Makino.

After some quick shifting of papers, Luffy grabs the Den-Den and dials Garp's number that has been ingrained into his head since he was a kid.

 _'Listen here! This number will connect you directly to my emergency Den-Den Mushi! So if something happens call it! Don't forget it!'_

Luffy lifts the phone to his ear and taps his foot impatiently on the floor. This was his emergency line right? So why wasn't he picking up?! Suddenly the ringing stops and Luffy's heart beats faster when he hears a clicking sound.

"Gramps! It's Luffy!" He says, not waiting for a reply. "The celestial whatever's took control of the town and made us all slaves! The burned everything down gramps! Even the Party Bar!" He felt himself choke up and tears fall down his face.

"You probably don't know because you would definitely protect the island if we needed help! But we need you right now because an admiral with lava is trying to get us all 'cause we escaped, that's how I got to this phone. B-but Makino is trying to be a distraction and _I need help!_ So please gramps..."

He waits for an answer but it's dead silent on the other end.

"Gramps? Are you there?" He asks, but the silence is deafening. His face scrunches in despair but he tucks it away and leans on the desk.

"Please, I-I don't know what to do!" He breaks down and his hands ball into fists.

"It's all my fault! They wanted me but they took the whole town and I'm not strong enough to stop them cause I'm a damn kid!" He doesn't bother wiping away the flood of tears.

"Ace isn't here and I don't know what to do! I need help so please...please just answer...anything please..."

But the silence only drags on and Luffy is crying in the phone waiting to hear something. The minutes feel like hours and he sags his head in despair. Their main source of help is eliminated.

"Damn it..." Luffy hangs up the phone and pauses to think. Where was he going to turn to now? He brushes a hand on his arm, still shocked about Garp's lack of response. He decides he needs to find the next person he trusts.

"Ace." With new determination Luffy runs to the door and throws it open...

To see the utter destruction outside.

Luffy's eyes widen as he steps out into the burning and crumbling hallway. The magma is dripping off the walls and melting spots in the ground. The ceiling has completely collapsed on itself and the red ash filled sky is clearly visible. It was due to some sort of miracle that his room was spared.

Luffy's mind reminds itself of his priorities and he turns down the last hallway where his mother figure went.

"Makino!" He calls, hands cupping his mouth. With no response, he continues to explore the destroyed building while calling her name.

"Maki-" Luffy's foot catches on a clump of debris and he falls face first on the dusty ground. He moans in pain and clenches his eyes shut as he slowly picks himself up.

That's when he sees the man's hand.

He probably would have missed it if he hadn't fell, as it is surrounded by cement ceiling and almost covered by the rocks that are crushing it.

Luffy should have left it alone, but something made him lift the boulders off the fallen person. Once he has a whole arm uncovered he notices the back of the head is untouched. What was unsettling was the pool of blood under it.

With careful and shaking hands, Luffy turns the head on its side and his breath catches in his throat.

"Trevor..."

A sudden crash from further away makes Luffy's head snap up. With one last glance at Trevor he sprints down the hallway dodging magma and falling cement.

He can now hear the panicked murmurs of people and he rounds the corner to the old cells.

"Mina!" They all turn their heads to Luffy and he can see Makino standing in the mix.

"Makino!" He runs and hits the locks, but they stay firmly in place; only clattering against the bars with each hit. Luffy looks up to meet the people's eyes expecting them to be trying to break the cage down, but they are all... trying to shoo him away?

"Luffy-kun!" Makino pushes past the crowd and grips the bars in front of his chest.

"Are you okay?" He asks, voice and face laced with concern. But to his surprise Makino grips the bars tighter, a desperate expression taking over her features.

"Get away! It's a trap-" Suddenly something hard and solid smacks him hard in the side. He flies back at blinding speed and breaks through the wall on his left.

There's a ringing in his ears but he makes out the cries of protest from the villagers. He remains in the rubble, stunned for a moment but tries to get up soon after. The sharp pain to his hip makes him flinch and settle back down. Luffy scowls at the bracelet that's blocking his powers, knowing he wouldn't be hurting as much with it gone.

The ground rumbles like an earthquake and Luffy squeezes his eyes shut trying to keep still. When the trembling stops he slowly opens his eyes to reveal the massive figure in front of him.

"So _you_ are the devil child's brother. I guess that makes you equally monstrous hm?" He says, raising a fist that quickly transforms into magma.

"Stop calling Ace a devil!" Luffy's temper flares. "He's not a monster! He's my brother!" Admiral Akainu snorts and clenches his fist.

"You shouldn't be so friendly with Fire Fist Ace. Any pirate is a monster, no matter whom they are." Luffy's vision is suddenly blurred as he's kicked so hard that he flies through and out of the building. He flips a few times in the air and rolls across the barren and destroyed village.

Luffy finally skids to a stop on his hands and knees, kicking up dust around him. He falls on one elbow and wheezes on his hurting lungs.

 _'I need to find Ace.'_ He thinks absently, wobbling to a standing position. Luffy thinks of the trapped citizens and decides if he was going to help them, he has to take matters into his own hands.

Suddenly magma and debris explode from where he flew through the wall. Admiral Akainu steps through the newly made space and walks towards him at a leisurely pace. Luffy spins around and runs into the forest to get away.

"I'll give you a small head start rat, but it won't help you much." He says semi-amusedly. Meanwhile Luffy scrambles through the trees and debris to find a way out of this chase.

The admiral is far behind and Luffy can't see him anymore, but the crunching of his massive feet lets Luffy know he's still there.

A shot of magma has Luffy veering to the side and into a tree. He spins around and is shocked to see dozens of magma bullets speeding towards him. He dodges a few then scrambles through the forest again, trying to avoid his incoming death.

"You can't hide anymore. Expose yourself and let me purge you from this earth." Akainu's voice reverberates through the forest just as Luffy reaches a cliff overlooking the coast.

Just then, a particularity large magma bullet speeds through his arm. He screams in anguish and stumbles forward to the ledge.

The footsteps getting closer is the only thing that keeps Luffy going and he bites his lip to keep out the moans of pain. He manages to stumble into nearby bushes and collapse in the undergrowth.

The admiral walks out of the forest on the side opposite of him and Luffy keeps silent as he walks forward.

"I heard your screams... I know you're here." He says into the air and Luffy tenses, gripping his heavily bleeding shoulder.

Akainu steps slowly to the edge of the cliff. Luffy can't see what he's looking at, but he assumes it's just his blood judging by the large red splotch staining the grass. The admiral takes a few more steps forward until he's leaning over the edge.

"So it seems you fell, a fitting death for scum." He sneers. To Luffy's surprise he leans over to collect something off the ground. He picks it up and with a glance down Luffy's breath stops all together.

Admiral Akainu walks off and takes Luffy's dismembered arm with him.

Luffy barely registers that it's his arm that the admiral is carrying and only stares at his stump in shock.

With weak legs and a weak mind, he forces himself to a standing position. After wavering dangerously to the side, he gets ahold of himself and numbly climbs down the ledge to the beach.

Step by agonizing step he walks around the beach until he spots a small rowboat sitting up on the sand.

Luffy drags his legs to the floating device and is barely able to push it into the water. He quickly jumps on the boat with a groan and rips off part of his shirt, tying it around his bleeding shoulder.

Exhausted and extremely light headed, he lays down on his back preparing for his death.

Tears run down Luffy's face and he cries to the world as the flames sprout from his home and into the sky.

* * *

Wanda shrieks in horror as the arm is dropped in front of her and the rest of her cellmates. She reaches blindly for Makino and buries her face in her shoulder.

"Is t-that...?" Magra stutters, eyes blown wide and Makino cries in horror.

"That is what he deserves for being the brother of Fire Fist Ace. Pure monster through and through." Akainu states calmly, eyes unblinking. But to his surprise, they all stand and radiate pure anger at him.

"What is wrong with you? _What is wrong with this system?"_ One person shouts, tears streaming down their face.

"Who cares who he's related to! What a pirate has done doesn't mean that he bears the same sins!"

"You killed an innocent boy!"

"Luffy was the sweetest kid!"

The admiral looks on in curiosity, but if he felt any guilt he didn't show it.

* * *

In a marine base far away, an old marine sits in the center of a dark office. The air is heavy and the only noise comes from the occasional quiet crunching. Said marine, also known as Vice Admiral Garp the Fist, grabs another cracker and munches on it slowly.

"Damn it." He curses quietly, gripping his hands into fists. Garp knows what is happening to his hometown. The destruction, the capturing and yet there's not a single thing he can do because the Celestial Dragons are responsible. It's at times like these where he really hates who the marines serve.

He continues to lament when a call on his emergency Den-Den-Mushi interrupts his thoughts. He knows who this is, this phone was made specifically for them.

He places it delicately in front of him then lets it ring. A bit reluctantly, he answers and immediately there's a reply.

 _"Gramps! It's Luffy!"_ All his instincts are to reply, but he keeps his mouth shut.

 _"The celestial whatever's took control of the town and made us all slaves! They burned everything down gramps! Even the Party Bar!"_ The sadness in his voice almost makes Garp choke up.

 _"...and_ I need help! _So please gramps..."_ He can't talk to him. What would he say? That _this_ is justice?

 _"Gramps? Are you there?"_ Garp can hear the disappointment in his voice. It's silence after that, only small scuffling and he thinks Luffy is trying to get his bearings.

 _"Please, I-I don't know what to do! It's all my fault! They wanted me but they took the whole town and I'm not strong enough to stop them cause I'm a damn kid!"_ Garp can hear the tears at this point.

 _"Ace isn't here and I don't know what to do! I need help so please...please just answer...anything please..."_ The silence is now echoing with silent sobs from the snail phone. It's utterly _heartbreaking_ and Garp is biting his lip, tears streaming down his face.

"Damn it..." After the soft curse the call ends and Garp hangs his head low.

"Luffy, Ace...I'm so so sorry!" He apologizes to thin air, knowing he can't face his grandsons anymore.

 **Well this only took forever. I've been dabbing on it for months, but I haven't really taken the time to really work on it.**

 **The chapters are going to be this dang long and posted whenever (next one should be done soon-ish).**

 **I'm working my ass off on this plot so fav, review ride a donkey or whatever! Thank you!**

 _Next time; Sneaky doctors and singin' songs._

 _~ until the Florida driiiiive_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

 **UGH I KNEW I WOULD MAKE MISTAKES BY WRITING ABOUT 2 HANDS WHEN HE ONLY HAS ONE IN THIS CHAPTER! I HOPE I FIXED ALL THE MISTAKES ! SORRY! THANKS TO THE FOLKS WHO POINTED IT OUT!**

 _I usually don't make my authors notes very long but this is an exception:_

 _OH MY 1000 LLAMA TRACTORS YOU PEOPLE ROCK! The feedback favs, follows and reviews I got from you guys were beyond beyond what I expected. I got more follows in favs in one chapter here than in the entire story of Kidnapped. You guys, like you the bomb I can't even describe THANK YOU!_

 _This entire chapter was written on my lovely drive from my home in Canada down to Florida. I have major carsickness guys but I managed to do it, and wanted to post asap once I finished. (I'm now on my last day in Florida )_

 _Whenever reviewers were thinking it was gonna take long I wanted to tell y'all so bad that it wasn't too far away. I hate when it takes too long to post, cause then I forget the story!_

 _Anyway, here's the 2_ _nd_ _chapter!_

 **DISCLAIMER**

When Luffy blinks his eyes open to a blinding light, he certainly wasn't expecting to hear seagulls cawing in the background.

Luffy flicks his eyes around uncertainly, but the crashing waves against wood make him realize he's on a boat.

Feeling weak, he turns his head to the side from his laying position hoping to lessen the sun's intensity. Luffy glances down at his stump and is surprised to see bandages all over it.

 _'Who did this?'_ He wonders. Whoever it was, they probably saved his life. A quick look to his other arm makes him sigh, the energy sapping cuff is still on his wrist.

 _'Oh right, I'm still on the boat I left on...'_ Luffy thinks dazedly. He observes the blood caked boat in confusion. How could someone treat him in the middle of the ocean?

 _'So I drifted to an island then. Wait, did I not leave Dawn Island?!'_ Ignoring the pain, he shoots up to a sitting position and looks around the island in a panic. He sighs in relief when he realizes this island is different.

"This isn't it; I must have drifted awhile then. Thank Oda..." As he stumbles out of the boat, Luffy realizes the full extent of his hunger from days of travel and the minimal portions he received as a slave. He misses the perfect way Ace cooks a boar and Makino's special steaks.

Suddenly Luffy throws his good hand on top of his head. A relieved sigh escapes his lips when he feels the comforting crunchy straw of his hat. A grumbling in his stomach makes him groan.

The only thing on his mind is food (when is it not?) as he walks along the beach clutching his arm. The blood is already soaking through the bandages and is lightly staining his hand.

After trudging in the hot sun for an hour, he sees a shabby looking town in the distance. Palm trees and heavy forest surround it making the buildings seem darker. Their port is the only thing that looks fine quality with the vast amount of ships and the many bustling merchants.

"Hey brat!"

Used to being addressed by the nickname, Luffy instinctively turns his head only to be met with broad chests and blades.

Wide-eyed he looks up and meets the stare of three rather intimidating men with cruel grins. They chuckle mockingly and Luffy gulps.

"Whatcha doing kid? Lost your mommy?" One asks putting on a fake sympathetic expression.

"You know shorty; we'll take you home if your parents give us a little um... compensation." Another with a scruffy beard offers, rotten breath wafting on Luffy's face.

Coughing loudly, Luffy scrunches his face in disgust and waves a hand in front of his nose.

"Use a toothbrush ugly-ossan you reek!" Luffy says disdainfully. The scruffy bandit grits his teeth and points the sword to Luffy's neck.

"You little shit! Do you not know who you're talking to?!" He threatens. The others step a little closer to Luffy.

"Let's get to the chase, give us your money kid or we will kill you right here." The one with a bandana says, flicking a tongue over his teeth.

Luffy wants no more than to beat these bastards into oblivion and to show them that even though he's a kid he can pack one hell of a punch.

Unfortunately, he has his arm to think about, and his stupid shackle. Along with the loss of blood weakening him, he doesn't have his gum gum powers to soften their blows.

So all in all, he can't fight.

"I don't have any money." He informs them, slowly shying away. But the bandits don't let him take another step and surround him in a tight circle.

"Your parents are bound to have _some_ then, and I think for your best interest you hand over the cash." The scruffy one says menacingly.

"Yeah," the first one joins in. "Especially with your,"-he nods to Luffy's stump. -"handicap."

On a split second decision, Luffy ducks through the bandana wearing bandit's legs and makes a break for the town. Just as he gets a few steps in, his foot trips on a rock and he falls on his stomach.

 _'Crap!'_ He flips around to a sitting position but they are already standing above him with their long shadows casting down on his small figure ominously.

"Oi! Is that a sea stone bracelet?" The scruffy one asks his companions.

"That's right, I think it is. You must be one of those rare devil fruit users!"

"Say boys, if this kid is a runaway slave we can get a hefty reward if we return him." The scruffy bandit suggests, rubbing his chin in thought.

That was all Luffy needed to hear and he takes off running faster than ever before.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?!" The bandits chase behind him, but quickly get lost in the thick forest Luffy ran into.

"Where'd he go?"

"He's too far in the woods to catch now, let's find easier prey." Luffy can still hear the bandit's voices so he runs faster, crashing through the undergrowth without stopping.

After running for what feels like hours, Luffy stops in a sunlit clearing looking around for any signs of danger.

' _Looks like they left me alone.'_ Deeming it safe, Luffy sinks against a tree trying to catch his breath. He's utterly exhausted from hunger and blood loss so he takes awhile to recuperate.

Even when his breathing returns to normal he can't think straight with his stomach on empty.

 _'I need to hunt...'_ He decides. Slowly but surely, he pushes himself up and looks around for a weapon.

"Ah ha!" Luffy says triumphantly. He trots over to a bush that has shed all it's leaves. The branches are long and pointy, perfect for stabbing prey.

With a sharp tug, Luffy pulls a branch off the shrub and stumbles a little at the momentum. He brings the pointy end up to his face and examines it.

"Seems okay..." He mumbles as his childish face scrutinizes the weapon.

"Now for the food!" He grips the branch much like he would his pipe and walks further into the forest.

Suddenly a small growling noise catches his attention and he gets into a defensive stance, ready to fend off the beast. The noise returns, louder this time and Luffy twists his head looking for the creature, but it's nowhere in sight.

 _'Where the hell is it?'_ The rustling of bushes to his right makes Luffy stiffen. He braces himself for a boar, tiger, bear... and rabbit?

The small creature hops out from the undergrowth into the clearing to nibble on a fresh patch of grass.

Luffy scolds himself for being so worked up over such a tiny thing when he hears the growling again. A light blush spreads over his cheeks.

 _'Oops, that ferocious beast was my stomach.'_ But Luffy can't contain the drool that pools around his mouth as he looks at the small mammal.

 _'Its small, but it'll do!'_ Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he tip toes towards the rabbit. Careful not to make any noise he raises his spear in preparation to strike.

 _'Gotcha!'_ Luffy thinks his aim is spot on, but the stick lands on the space right next to the rabbit. Alert to the danger, the rabbit escapes into the bushes at a furious pace.

"Damn it!" He shouts out loud. Why is his aim off? He usually hunts with ease! Getting frustrated, Luffy approaches the nearest tree and concentrates on a specific point.

"C'mon!" He drives the stick forward but it in fact misses the tree completely. With another angry growl, Luffy attacks the tree again and again but unfortunately can't get a single clean hit.

 _'Is it because my arm is gone?'_ He glares at his stump and grits his teeth. Great, one more thing he 'can't' do.

Tossing the stick into some nearby bushes, Luffy walks in the direction of where he thinks the town is.

 _'I ran from that direction so it must be over...here!'_ He perks up slightly when he sees the brick wall of a building a little way in front of him.

The thought of food being close by makes Luffy speed up his pace and soon enough he's in an alleyway, peeking at the town.

The state of the village is as shabby on the inside as it looks from the outside. Everything seems to be grey and all of the people look harsh and cruel.

Not wanting to encounter them, Luffy remains where he is and looks at the line of stalls set up along the road. The products are full of variety, ranging from sakes of the East Blue to silks from the North Blue.

"Hey Mommy, why does he have one arm?"

Luffy's gaze shifts to a little girl with one hand pulling on her mom's skirt and the other pointing at Luffy.

The mother flicks her scornful eyes to Luffy then back to her child.

"I don't know honey, but I hope he goes back to wherever he came from." The mother grabs her child's hand and pulls her along the street without a second glance.

A troubled expression takes over Luffy's features and he lifts his stump halfheartedly. Is he really that different?

Scanning the booths in front of him, Luffy sees a black cloak with a hood hanging off the side.

 _'I need that; this arm makes me too noticeable.'_ He thinks, frustrated. Luffy waits until the vendor isn't looking then snatches the cloak off the rack. He quickly runs back to the forest, not risking a fight.

Taking a moment to straighten out the fabric, Luffy slips the cloak on and silently thanks whatever deity that tied the neck ribbon beforehand. He looks down to examine his appearance.

The cloak covers his whole upper body and torso all the way down until just above his knee. Luffy pushes his straw hat under the cloak and pulls the hood up a bit so the straw hat is carefully hidden around his neck.

 _'If I walk out like this the vendor guy will know I stole it.'_ Making it look a little more worn, Luffy tears and pats dirt all over the cloak.

Deeming himself ready to go into town, he walks far away from the vendor he stole from and enters the Main Street from an alley further down.

As he walks deeper and deeper into the city, Luffy discovers how similar it is to Low Town. The only difference is that there are more people and they are less friendly. The citizens that walk by give him different looks of hate, hunger and scorn.

However, Luffy hardly acknowledges them as he is fixated on looking for a decent restaurant to dine and dash. Problem is every time he looks into a restaurant it is filled with pirates or bandits who can easily kill him if he takes one step inside.

The hunger is strong now though. To Luffy it feels like there is a hole in his stomach and if he doesn't get something soon he's going to faint.

Desperate, Luffy prepares himself to run headfirst into a particularity sketchy bar when a sweet tune from down the street floats to his ears.

It is the only thing that isn't gloomy in this grey town and momentarily distracted, Luffy hurries to it's source. He loves music!

 _'A bar?'_ His mind chirps. Luffy stops in front of the seemingly ordinary tavern. It reminds him somewhat of the Party Bar, he realizes with an ache. The angelic voice coming from inside draws Luffy to the establishment.

He pushes open the swinging doors cautiously and observes the drunkards around him, all chugging sake and gorging on food.

A smoking turkey leg on the table next to him causes Luffy's mouth to water. He makes a move to snatch it from the oblivious customer, but the voice reaches his ears again.

He turns toward a young man standing on a stage at the corner of the bar. The beautiful song he is singing causes some of the men nearby to stop their chatter and stare silently.

Luffy steps towards the man and watches in awe of his talent. There isn't any money being collected as Luffy expects. The man appears to be singing for nothing at all, just purely for the entertainment of others.

When the song finishes, the whole bar breaks out into applause. The young man smiles softly, bowing and then takes his leave.

Luffy's eyes follow him to where he sits at the bar and a steak is placed in front of him.

"As promised; a good steak for a good show." The barman says amusedly. The singer chuckles and cuts a piece of steak.

"Thank you sir, it was a pleasure." he says as he twirls his fork.

 _'He got that for free?!'_ Luffy thinks in disbelief, but the steaming steak has him distracted and he zones in on it.

A sudden hand on his shoulder has him whirling around to a hairy man in an apron.

 _'A waiter.'_ Luffy thinks to himself.

"Who are you kid? You aren't old enough to be in here." He eyes Luffy up and down. "Plus you're looking pretty sickly. You better not be a beggar." Luffy doesn't answer immediately and the man's expression turns dark. The bar suddenly goes silent but it is unnoticed by the pair. The barman and singer watch on intently.

"I don't stand for beggars in this bar! You're leaving _now!_ " The waiter grabs Luffy's hood and drags him out the tavern where he is tossed to the grown. Luffy throws one more longing look at the steak before the doors close off his view.

He remains laying on the street side breathing heavily. Luffy's energy is slipping away and he can feel it go fast. Desperate, he pulls out the last idea he has.

With a little more effort than necessary, he gets up and runs deep into town searching for something. His eyes light up when he sees a steady flow of people coming to and from a fancy clothing store.

Digging into his hood, Luffy pulls out his prized straw hat and runs next to the entrance of the business. Placing his hat neatly on the ground in front of him, he searches his mind for a song. He remembers vaguely Ace and Sabo telling him he had a great singing voice.

He misses them so much it physically hurts him.

 _'I've got to try this! That guy got a free meal because he sang, so I can do it too!'_ he thinks determinedly, trying to push the pain away.

 _'I know! I'll sing the one the fishermen always sing by the dock!'_ He decides. Taking a deep breath, Luffy thinks over the lyrics and begins to sing.

He closes his eyes and allows the words to flow through his mouth. The world seems to blur from him as he concentrates on the song. Luffy lets his mind roam across the events that led to his slavery and he channels his emotions into the song.

He finishes the song on a low note and slowly opens his eyes to see a single man across the street slowly applauding him. Luffy blushes in embarrassment and realizes he's seen this person before.

 _'Its the singer guy from the bar!'_ The man walks until he is standing right in front of him. Luffy notes that his head reaches just below the singer's shoulders.

Not breaking eye contact with Luffy he bends down and picks Luffy's hat up off the ground, much to the rubber boy's dismay. The man smiles at Luffy's expression and lightly pushes the hat into Luffy's hand.

"Did you get the idea from me?" He asks, still smiling. Luffy just nods and looks down at his hat. His eyes widen in excitement when he sees twenty belis in coins. He never had his own money before! Sure there was the pirate fund, but he was sharing that with Ace and Sabo.

"Don't feel bad about the small amount, that's actually pretty good considering the people here aren't too generous." he says sympathetically, mistaking Luffy's silence for disappointment. "By the way, great voice! You're a natural at singing."

Then the man pulls something out of his pocket that almost makes Luffy go rabid.

"Cookies..." Luffy murmurs, gaze fixed on the treats as they are pushed in his hands. Quickly remembering his manner lessons, Luffy bows deeply.

"Thank you so much!" He says gratefully. Luffy stands up straight and bounces up and down in excitement. The singer chuckles amusedly, then notices Luffy's arm under the cloak.

"You have no arm..."

Luffy gasps and wraps the cloak closed with his good hand. He stares at the man intently, daring him to make a move.

But the man surprises Luffy by reaching into his back pocket searching for something.

"How old are you kid?" He asks. Relaxing slightly, Luffy loosens his grip on the cloak.

"14."

 _'Really? He looks younger cause he's kinda short. Plus he looks a little gauntly and ill.'_ The singer makes a sound of satisfaction when he feels something in his pocket. He pulls out a couple of bills and places it in Luffy's hat.

"How much is that?" Luffy asks, bewildered.

"50 belis on the nose. That should be enough to get some food and medicine for yourself." Luffy gasps and shakes his head.

"But you need this money too right? That's why you sing, to get food n' stuff."

"You need it more than me kid." The man sighs at Luffy's semi-confused look. "That arm isn't looking too good and neither do you. I can always earn it easily. Plus, I'm not as poor as you think." He says with a wink.

Luffy glances at the folks around him that are giving them glares for hanging around a fancy shop.

"Why would someone from this town help me?" He asks the man. Chuckling, the singer turns his back to Luffy.

"Us singers got to stick together."

Luffy shakes his head and grins widely.

"I'm not a singer, I'm going to be a pirate!" The man only laughs harder as he walks away into the foggy street.

"Wait!" Luffy yells. "What's your name?!" Not pausing, the man raises his hand in farewell. Luffy notices some sort of symbol tattooed on his arm.

"You can call me-"

"What?" Luffy asks again, not hearing the name. But he's already gone.

"Oh well." Luffy shrugs. Suddenly, his head gets dizzy and spots are dancing around in his vision.

 _'So hungry...'_ he thinks weakly. Ducking into the alleyway behind him, he sinks against the wall and pulls the packaging off the cookies with his teeth. Luffy doesn't waste any time gorging into the cookies.

"It feels like forever..." Tears trail down his face as he munches on the treats. It is his first meal in a long time, he leaves no time to savor and eats only to null the pain in his stomach.

When he finishes he wipes the tears from his eyes and licks his fingers of crumbs.

 _'I need to eat more first, then go see a doctor, I think. That guy said I should.'_ Luffy resolves, licking the final finger clean. With that he shoves all his money in his disheveled pocket and tucks his straw hat back in his hood.

Stealthily walking out of the alleyway and down the street, Luffy comes upon a restaurant far from the one he tried to steal from.

 _'This one seems okay.'_ He pushes the door open to the tavern and the smell of alcohol invades his nostrils. Holding in a cough at the intense odor, he looks around for an empty table.

 _'Ah ha!'_ Luffy exclaims mentally when he finds one. Dodging and ducking the boisterous customers, he makes his way to the far corner of the bar where there is a solitary table.

Luffy plops down in the creaky wooden seat and places his hand on a table. As he waits for service his gaze travels around the room and takes in all the activity.

Pirates and working men alike are all drinking to their hearts content. The waitresses are scampering around like mice with trays balanced in their arms, rushing to give them their orders.

Luffy feels a frown crawl on his face. He wants to get Foosha Village back to the way it was, so they can have fun like this. But how does he find Ace...

"Um..." Luffy looks up to a waitress reluctantly approaching him. Her head is turned to the side and she's gripping her tray to her stomach.

"Well...look, I've never done this before... but it's clear you're not going to pay for your meal...and my boss says beggars aren't allowed here... so ...just go back to your parents or something." she says uncomfortably.

Scrunching his face in focus, Luffy sticks his hand in his pocket and lights up when he pulls the cash out.

"Actually I do have money miss!" He says proudly. Taken aback, she coughs and fumbles for her notepad.

"Um...okay then, what will you have?" she asks hesitantly, still suspicious.

"I'll have the biggest piece of meat you have!" Luffy says while drooling a waterfall.

"That would be the steak. I'll be right back with your order."

A few short minutes later, a steaming steak is placed in front of Luffy.

"Thank you for the meal!" He says appreciatively. Not wasting another second he hounds on the steak, surprising a few passersby's.

"Umph," a sudden turn in his stomach makes him stop eating. The nausea comes full force and he clutches his stomach in fear of throwing up.

'What? Why would food make me sick? Food is never bad!' Luffy argues mentally. So when the sickness fades away, he takes an experimental taste to see if the pain returns.

Relieved he still feels alright; he eats his steak slowly (much to his annoyance) so he can keep it down. To be honest with himself, the meat was a little rich compared to what he's eaten for awhile.

When he finishes he feels satisfied and warm inside. Luffy sees his waitress and hails her down with his good arm. She walks stiffly towards him and smiles forcibly.

"Did you enjoy your meal... _sir_?" She asks stiffly. Oblivious to her uneasiness, he nods his head enthusiastically.

"You bet! Oh, waitress lady! Can I get some bread to go?"

"Of course, just give me a moment." She walks away to the kitchen.

Luffy figures if he got some food for later, it'll come in handy when he gets hungry again.

And he _will_ get hungry again.

"Here you go." Luffy takes the pouch of bread from her hand and tucks it away in his other pocket.

"How much is everything?" Luffy asks.

 _'He should have known that before he ate...'_ The waitress thinks, disgruntled.

"30 belis." She says curtly, keeping her real emotions inside. Luffy fumbles around the bills until he comes up with the amount.

"Here you go miss! Bye!" He grins widely and waves to her until he exits the restaurant. She merely brings a hand up in farewell and watches him leave.

Luffy steps out into the summer air feeling a little better, but now that the pang in his stomach is gone the harsh pain of his shoulder is more noticeable.

In a quick check, he realizes there is blood soaking the side of his shirt and staining his chest. Luffy inspects the bandage which is now completely red with blood and hides it under the cloak.

 _'I hope I see that mystery doctor again; he'll know what to do about my arm. Maybe I can find where he works.'_ Luffy walks through the murky streets looking for any sign of a doctor's office but nothing jumps out at him.

"Aren't all doctors supposed to have red crosses on their doors or something?" He wonders aloud. A young lady walks by with a shopping bag in hand. Luffy trots up and walks alongside her.

"Excuse me?" Luffy asks innocently. The lady turns to meet his gaze and lifts an eyebrow because a scruffy looking kid is talking to _her._

"What is it?" She snaps, irritated.

"Do you know where I can find a doctor's office?" Not noticing her harsh tone, he looks at her expectantly. She sticks a thumb over her shoulder to a building a few paces away.

"No office here kid. Go to the pharmacy." Speeding up, she walks away and leaves Luffy all alone.

"Pharmakly? Parkamacee?" He tries to pronounce. But the name is familiar to him, Luffy remembers Makino bringing some bandages back from that place for Ace, Sabo and him.

The smell of herbs is strong as he walks into the wooden building. The shelves are stacked high with different medicine and bandages. Luffy checks around the shelves, but is completely clueless.

 _'I thought I only needed bandages, but the singer guy said I needed other medicine. Which one do I use?'_ He reads the labels but there's only a bunch of medical garble that he doesn't understand.

"Oops!" Luffy accidentally knocks a bottle off the shelf and it hits the floor with a smash.

"Who broke that?" Someone yelled. Probably a clerk.

 _'Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!'_ Luffy speed walks into an aisle far away from the scene.

He peeks around the corner and sees a few angry people dressed in white cleaning it up. Sighing in relief he swings back around to the new area.

 _'Hey! There's the red cross!'_ Luffy exclaims mentally. Up ahead is a separate section off the store with the red cross plastered up above the entrance. Approaching the area, he notices that there are only a few people, ratty ones at that, who are sitting on opposite sides of the waiting room. At the back is a large wooden desk with a grumpy looking clerk writing something down.

Going through the room Luffy could feel the sickness radiating off of the waiting people. Glancing down at his own pale and skinny form, he figures he's not doing much better.

As Luffy steps up to the desk, he frowns. It's too tall, only half of his head is peaking out. The lady behind the desk takes no notice, she's now flipping through a magazine.

Placing his hand flat on the counter, he stands up on his tip toes so his head is fully visible.

 _'Ugh…'_ The sudden movement makes him sway and his shoulder throb painfully. He's feeling pretty weak again but the lady still doesn't budge.

 _'Maybe I do need more than just bandages.'_ Luffy thinks sheepishly. Once he straightens himself out, he clears his throat loudly. When the lady still doesn't look up, he coughs even louder.

After a few seconds she closes her eyes and sighs. The lady lifts one eye open and frowns a bit deeper as she looks at Luffy.

"What do you want kid?" She finally relents.

"I need medicine." He says bluntly. She grumbles to herself but takes out the largest book Luffy's ever seen. Dropping it on the desk with a bang that makes others jump, she opens it up to a random page.

"Name."

"Oh! Um, Luffy."

"What's the medicine you need?" She sighs. Luffy taps his chin in thought.

"Well, I don't know much of anything about medicine. The really nice singer guy said I should get it, but I thought I only needed bandages. Oh! And gauze!" Luffy adds in, recalling his brothers using it on his wounds.

She furrows her brows and crosses her arms on her chest.

"Just out of curiosity, is this stuff for you?" She asks. He nods his head eagerly, a bright oblivious smile on his face.

"Can I see the injury?" With small hesitation, he steps back so she can see his full body. Luffy reaches down and shyly lifts his cloak to expose his missing arm. She gasps in shock and he drops the cloak, startled.

"This is serious! You're bleeding much too heavily!" She runs around the desk and touches the bloodied bandage on his shoulder.

"You need to get stitches." She says urgently, gently taking his good arm and leading him in a back room.

"I don't think I have enough money for that. I only have forty belis." He says, warning her before she did anything he couldn't afford.

But she ignores him and leads him to an empty doctor's office where she sits him down. Luffy merely looks at her curiously while she shifts through drawers.

"What are you looking for?" He asks, but she's pushing his chest gently, willing him to lay down.

"Lay still, I need to take off your bandages." He complies with her requests and she gently removes the cloak. Luffy watches as she cringes at the blood soaked clothes.

With more care than he thought, she strips him down to his boxers and unravels the bandage. After she sends a frown at the bangle on his wrist, she dips a cloth in water and gently cleans him of any dry blood around his arm and side.

"I'll wash and fix your clothes later." She says as she taps a needle. Luffy is still looking confused so she smirks.

"I'm just a trainee doctor, but I'm perfectly capable of stitches." She sticks the needle in his good arm and that's when he notices how young she looks.

"This is just a sedative. Just relax and I'll stitch you right up." She says, reaching for string.

But he's already out.

* * *

There's a light buzz when Luffy comes to. He blinks open his eyes to a white ceiling.

 _'Wh-where am I?'_ He wonders. Luffy sits up slowly and looks around the strange room. His gaze wanders down to his stitched stub and that's when it all comes back to him. Escaping. His arm. The singer. The doctor.

Flopping back down on the cot he sighs deeply.

 _'I need to find Ace, but where is he right now?'_ He thinks harder and his face is turning red.

 _'The newspaper said he joined the white moustache pirates right? Or was it the white eared pirates? Maybe I can ask the doctor lady.'_ Luffy lays silent for a moment then groans with his hand flying to his face.

 _'How am I supposed to meet him? I can't steal a boat, that'll take too long and I'm in a hurry.'_ At that moment the trainee enters with food, interrupting Luffy's mental turmoil.

"You need to eat something. Even a blind old man would be able to tell you have malnutrition." She swings a tray over his lap and places a steaming bowl of soup in front of him.

Luffy gasps in joy and brings the bowl up to his lips, taking a long sip. When he finishes he brings it back down and sighs in relief. Luffy looks at her back while she's writing stuff down facing the opposite way.

"Lady-"

"It's Alice."

"Sorry." The silence drags on before he opens his mouth again.

"Alice, why are you helping me?" She snorts and turns to look at him.

"I couldn't just leave you out there with no treatment after you lost a damn _arm._ You probably would have died; no one is too kind in this town." Luffy shakes his head childishly making Alice giggle. This kid is too cute!

"Not all of them. There was the singer guy who gave me food and the mystery person who wrapped my arm while I was passed out." He insists. Alice smiles tight lipped.

"That's probably the doctor here. He usually can't leave someone alone who needs treatment."

"What a nice guy!" Luffy exclaims, grinning widely.

"He's quite rude actually. If you saw him again he would demand money for his services and rip the stitches out if you couldn't pay." Luffy shivers and grips his injured shoulder. Alice walks over to a cabinet and pulls out Luffy's clothes. They're all clean and blood free.

"I'm sorry for being rude earlier, I never get customers with serious issues. They usually all just complain about the small things." She confesses, handing the clothes to Luffy. He stands up carefully and begins dressing himself.

"Why is everyone in this town mean?" He asks bluntly.

"Well, this town in fact is only made up of descendants of pirates." Luffy's eyes sparkle.

"It seems we've all inherited their nature. We've got to be tough to get what we want right?" She says with a wink. He hums in understanding as he pulls the cloak over his shoulders. Unfortunately, the neck ribbon is undone so he tries to tie it with one hand.

"Here..." Alice kneels down and ties the ribbon for him.

"I'm sorry the seastone cuff is still on you. I tried to get it off but that thing is incredibly hard to break." Luffy lifts a hand and examines the grey bangle.

"What _is_ seastone? Some bandits mentioned it before."

"Well, it's a special kind of stone that causes Devil Fruit users to become weak and loose their abilities. Since you have one, I assume you have powers yourself?" She asks, pulling the ribbon tight.

"That's right! I'm a rubber man! I can stretch really far! See..." He grabs his cheek and pulls, but it remains taut. He lets go and rubs his pained cheek.

"Ouch, I forgot. Shishishi!" She shakes her head slowly, but there's a soft smile playing her lips. Alice stands up straight and reaches for a small white bag on the counter.

"Since the cuff is making you weaker than usual, you're more susceptible to infection." She shoves the bag in Luffy's hands and pulls out a notebook. Grabbing the pen behind her ear, she scribbles down notes.

"There's all the medicine you will need in that bag so don't loose it. And here-"she hands Luffy the paper"-is a list of the ones you need to keep you going." Luffy peeks in the bag at the small bottles of liquid.

"Mystery medicine..." He mumbles then closes the bag, his reasoning over money completely discarded. "Thank you so much! You're the best Alice! Hey, when I make a pirate crew can you be my doctor?" Luffy asks, bouncing on the spot. She opens her mouth but all that comes out is a laugh.

"I-I'm sorry Luffy." She struggles to contain her giggles. "But a pirate's life is not a life for me. I'm happy here." Luffy scowls and turns his head away.

"Damn it, you would have been perfect!" He complains. Alice chuckles again and ruffles his hair.

"I'm sure your perfect doctor is someone else out there. You just have to wait." Straightening his straw hat on his neck, Luffy grins widely.

"You bet! Thanks for everything Alice, see ya!"

"Don't you want to stay and recover?" Alice asks, crossing her arms. Luffy shakes his head.

"I can't, I have something really important I need to do." He says. Suddenly, Luffy lifts a finger in the air.

"Right! I forgot to ask! Do you know how I could talk to the white moustache pirates?" He asks. Alice's face scrunches in confusion.

"Do you mean the Whitebeard pirates?"

"Oh right! That's it!" He exclaims, pointing to her. "I need to see them! It's an emergency!"

"What?! Are you insane?! Not only are we taking about the strongest man in the world, but they are deep in the Grand Line. The most dangerous place in the seas!"

Luffy opens his mouth to say something but she cuts him off with a raised hand.

" _But,_ if you really want to do this then you should go to the nearest island that is Whitebeard protected. If you find some pirates, there they have to be allied with him and they might let you contact him."

"Where's the nearest island?" Luffy asks.

"Tellar island in the West Blue. You're lucky to be on this island, we have ships going everywhere around the blues. You're bound to find a merchant ship heading that way." Luffy runs up and hugs her around the waist. Alice only blinks down in bewilderment, speechless.

"Thank you so much Alice! You helped me so much!" He releases her and smiles widely, running out the door.

"Bye!" Luffy yells, waving. Alice stands there paralyzed, but then she catches herself and smiles softly at him.

"Good luck Luffy!" She shouts, ignoring the glares of the patients around her.

Luffy waves until he's out of the store and immediately sprints in the direction of the port. When he arrives, he hides behind a stack of crates.

"Oi! Hurry it up! This shipment is bound for the West Blue, and we're already behind schedule!"

Luffy watches carefully as the burly men stack the remainder of their barrels on their moderate sized ship.

"Set sail!" One yells and Luffy knows he has to hurry. Looking side to side, he makes sure the coast is clear before sprinting full force to the departing vessel.

Last minute he dives on the deck and squeezes amongst the many barrels on deck.

"Did you guys hear something?" One of the crew members asks. Luffy holds his breath as they walk around the deck.

"You're imagining it Larry. You've had a couple too many drinks."

"No I didn't!"

Luffy sinks in relief as they argue back and forth. He shifts until he is propped up comfortably against a barrel.

He rests his hand on his stomach and gazes at the setting sun, letting the waves and gentle rocking lull him into a daze.

 **I love how there was only one-line break in the whole thing. I honestly think singing Luffy is adorable so I added it in! There will be more action next chapter if this one didn't have enough.**

 _ **IMPORTANT READ THIS**_

 **I have missed a full week of school because I have been to Florida a week past march break. I need to take a bit to catch up on everything but DON'T FUSS. It shouldn't take as long as you think it would since I can still write on the way back. It's just this story is asking more of me, as my usual is 2800 words per chapter but these are like 9000. But just know…**

 **NONE OF MY FICS WILL EVER BE ABANDONED!**

 **Anyway, here's the reply to reviews:**

 _ **Guest:**_ **NEVAR ABANDONED! Sorry, I'm so glad you like it and thanks for reviewing!**

 _ **7:**_ **Ace better be helping him or he's one bad bro lolz. The admiral thinks that he shot Luffy and he fell off of the cliff (from the blood and arm on the ledge) so he assumes he's dead. Hope you liked the update!**

 _ **Guest (the one that said le gasp):**_ **please don't dislodge your eyeballs, here's another chapter!**

 _ **GreenDrkness:**_ **Makino is my fav so I hear you. Dramaticness is what I love so I hope you keep reading!**

 _ **Tanokuya:**_ **Sorry, Ace isn't gonna find out for awhile but I hope you liked this chapter!**

 _ **Iiev:**_ **Thanks for the compliment on my writing style! Thanks for taking the time to review!**

 _ **Guest (one that knows Ace is pissed):**_ **Hoooo yah that hot head is gonna be maaaaad.**

 _ **StarliteOracle:**_ **I know, I sorta (not really) feel bad for writing this.**

 _ **Alexandria747:**_ **No, he still has the arm with the bracelet (as you have most likely figured out in the first two seconds of this chapter) and I'm happy you're interested in this fic!**

 _ **Fray:**_ **s'alright about the English (you're actually pretty good!) you're review honestly made me grin like an idiot! Thank you so so much! Honestly hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 _ **Cotton Candy Lover – Chopper:**_ **Holy cow that is the best compliment 'ever' thank you thank you thank you I hope I don't disappoint in the future!**

 _ **PsychopathOnADiet**_ **: Same, that is a common trend in fanfics (I actually am fond of those) and I'm glad you like the alternative to it! I WILL NEVAR ABANDON**

 _ **Guest (one who feels sorry for Luffy):**_ **it's honestly a challenge writing about him with one hand (a few times I caught myself writing him using both hands) but I like it, it's fun. ACE GONNA BE MAAAD. Annnd updated in (12 days?) which was sooner than I thought so I hope you liked this chapter!**

 _ **Everlight18:**_ **Thank you! I'm glad you like the story! Yeah fighting is tough with him balance and aim thrown off, so he's gonna have to manage through the story!**

 _ **chibilink01:**_ **I love making people cry mwahahahahaha! (hope you like the story so far!)**

 _ **xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx:**_ **Awesome! Glad you like it!**

 _ **kagome11:**_ **BROTHERLY BONDS 4 THE WIN**

 _ **tenebreyami:**_ **I WILL NEVA ABANDON! Np, happy to provide!**

 _ **EnixFairy:**_ **A whole lot of stuff to come! Here's the (sort of early?) update!**

 _ **Lunaxel:**_ **Here's yo update so don't cry no mo! Unless it's for the story, mwahahaha!**

 _Next time; Causing mayhem and Marco gets a call._

 _~When I'm done my science lab (cries)_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

I'm sorry for the two hand errors in the last chapter (I swear there isn't any this time), I always forget he has one arm. I'm so embarrassed...

Man you guys give me really long reviews! I'm happy you guys care enough to write so much! Thanks lolz! **AND HOLY CRAP OVER 120 FOLLOWS AFTER 2 CHAPTERS?! WHAT EVEN IS LIFE?!**

Heh...Larry

 **DISCLAIMER**

Things are going...alright for Luffy.

To get to Tellar Island he's had to hide out on two different merchant ships. The first has taken him to some random island that has a weird obsession with umbrellas, but the second is going to his destination.

The current merchant ship he's on sells fish, which makes it entirely annoying when Luffy gets smacked in the face by a flailing tail.

Luckily that only happened a few times when the ship hit some rough waters and the fish spilled out of the barrels. Luffy leans over and sniffs his shirt.

He hopes it doesn't smell too fishy.

But he's stuck on the ship (whereas he learned is named 'Red Snapper' from the conversations of the crew) until they dock at Tellar Island.

Until then, he has to put up with the smell.

Food wise Luffy is okay, he has eaten the bread pouch he has kept in his pocket. Unfortunately, he accidentally dropped all his money in the ocean when a massive wave hit the boat.

So that's a bummer.

Alice said on the directions that he needs to take a swig from each of the bottles and replace the bandages every night before he goes to sleep. Luffy can't say he's fond of that though, the medicine tastes like tree leaves! Blech!

Currently Luffy is napping under the tarp at the bow of the Red Snapper. It's been relatively calm seas for the last bit.

But Luffy still feels restless, the nap is hardly doing anything for his nerves. As soon as this ship docks he has a chance to talk to Ace. The people in Foosha are depending on him.

A sudden jolt of the boat makes Luffy fall off the bench he's been dozing on. He lands on the wooden deck with an audible thump.

 _'Ow!'_ He cringes and rubs his aching nose.

"Sorry boys! Didn't think the dock was that close!"

"Larry! What did we tell you about drinking on the job?"

"I HAVEN'T DRANK A SINGLE DROP OF ALCOHOL!"

While the merchants argue with Larry for the millionth time that day, Luffy adjusts his straw hat securely around his neck from where it was jostled in the fall.

"Shishishi don't want anything to happen to you out there! I'm lucky I got to keep you when we all got captured!" Luffy muses, patting his hat fondly.

Now that the voices are edging further and further away, he lifts up the front of the tarp. Luffy blinks his eyes at the harsh sunlight.

Once his eyes adjust he peaks outside. The first thing that comes into view is a grand sign that says in large letters: "WELCOME TO TELLAR ISLAND!"

Luffy's heart thuds in his chest and his hand starts to sweat in anticipation.

 _'This is it.'_ He thinks anxiously. Looking around further there are plenty of creaky old docks and boasting fishermen. But a large flag waving proudly in the air catches his eye.

"The Whitebeard Jolly Roger..." he mumbles, breathless. It is situated in what appears to be the centre of the town. The flag is the tallest thing in town, easily spotted to ward off any enemy pirates.

"Take these boxes to the Fox tavern. But please Larry, don't stop to drink too much." Luffy can see the crew talking at the corner of his vision.

"I DONT EVEN LIKE ALCOHOL!" Everyone sighs in unison. Luffy can see two of the other merchants leading a flustered Larry away.

"Don't lie to yourself Larry. We'll go with you to keep you away from temptation." One of them smacks Larry's back making him fumble to keep ahold of the heavy crates.

Luffy listens to Larry mumble curses and soon they are out of sight. He looks over to the three crew members remaining, happy to see them distracted.

Luffy waits a little longer for clearance then slinks out of the tarp and onto the dock. He immediately jogs into the crowd and blends in with the rivers of people.

This town is much nicer than the last two he visited; it is vibrant with different arrays of colourful flowers, the economy is clearly prosperous with their plentiful population and there isn't a hint of a frown anywhere. It's a great place, one where everyone wants to be.

But this isn't where Luffy wants to be. He wants to be with the Whitebeard Pirates. With Ace.

He looks around the docks for any pirate ships. Luffy remembers Alice saying that only pirates who have the okay from Whitebeard are allowed on the island.

So Luffy walks along the port until he sees a large brown pirate ship. Despite the pirates' alliance with Whitebeard, people are still shying away from the men.

Luffy looks up to the flag waving from their crow's nest. The Jolly Roger has an image of a skull with long claws coming out of the sides.

He smiles in triumph and immediately approaches the massive ship. He silently marvels the vessel and has a strange urge to sit on the tiger figurehead.

The pirate crew is coming on and off of the ship, carrying loads of supplies in wooden barrels onto the deck. The only real pirate ship Luffy's seen before this was Shanks's. Even Bluejam didn't have his own ship.

The whole crew looks similar to Bluejam's, but this one _has_ to be better, they're friends with Ace!

While Luffy is standing still conversing with himself, the pirates have to veer to avoid him while they carry their large loads.

"Damn brat."

"Beat it kid you're in the way!" The pirates mutter curses and insults under their breaths.

Ignoring them, Luffy looks around for someone who seems important. That's when his eyes land on a tall man with the scruffiest black beard he's ever seen.

He walks to the pirate's side but is not noticed because of the particularity heavy crate the man is carrying.

"Oi, oi." Luffy bugs, tugging on the pirate's sleeve.

The man's face is beat red from the weight and Luffy's pestering isn't helping.

"Not now kid! I'm busy!" He yells in Luffy's face. But Luffy is undeterred.

"Where's your captain?" He asks, persistent. The pirate pushes past Luffy and snorts.

"Don't provoke pirates kid!" He shouts. "Go back to your mommy and bother someone else." Then he walks away to his ship.

Luffy grumbles and puffs his cheeks out in annoyance. He's being called a kid a lot lately.

He turns his attention instead to a pirate with large claws and a large hat. The claw-man waves his hands in dramatic gestures, gathering the attention of the crew. They all crowd around him eagerly and eat up every word he says.

"Now my crew, get back to work!" He says in a deep scratchy voice. The crew salutes.

"Aye aye sir!" They all chant, then split up to their respectful tasks.

The man and a few other strong looking crew members remain behind. They start talking loudly and non caring.

"We'll be all stocked up with this haul." The burly one says, arms crossed.

"Good, I'm expecting rough seas. Last thing we need is to run into marines without any cannons." Says the claw-hand one. The sneer never seems to leave his face.

"You're so strong captain, you could beat them without any cannons!" Says a skinny one at the captain's side. Luffy's ears perk up.

"You got that right! I could take them all down with only my pinky finger! Bwahaha- eh what?" The captain's laughter is cut short as Luffy jumps in front of him.

"Who-Whadda you want brat?" The captain asks. He's a little mad he was caught off guard. Luffy stands on his tippy toes to get as close to his face as possible.

"You're the captain right? Do you know the Whitebeard pirates?" He asks eagerly. The captain suddenly looks smug, happy to see someone marvel at him. He flexes his large claws so that they gleam in the sunlight.

"That's right kid," he boasts. "I talked to the yonko Whitebeard himself. The man bows down to my strength every time he sees me!" Luffy's smile widens and his eyes light up.

"That's great! Do you know Ace too?!"

"Fire Fist Ace? Hmm, I've heard that he is one of the commanders, but I don't know him personally." Luffy deflates a little, but it is brief.

"If you know Whitebeard you can call him right? I need to talk to Ace right away!" What Luffy isn't expecting is laughter, but that's what's happening, right in his face.

The captain and his cronies can barely contain themselves. They're clutching their stomachs, fighting for breath. The captain wipes a stray tear from his eye with a large claw.

"It's cute you're a fan and all, but you shouldn't mess around in pirate business. We don't stand for jokes."

"It's not a joke! This is an emergency! Ace is my broth-" But they're all laughing in his face again, not hearing a word he says.

"Dream on kid." And they walk away to set sail.

Luffy is left standing alone. He's shocked and worried. How can Ace have nakama like these?!

Not knowing what to do, Luffy walks numbly into town.

He finds himself walking into a quaint restaurant. The atmosphere is quite nice even though Luffy is gloomy. But he can't help it, the whole time there's been one question ringing in his head.

How is he supposed to find Ace now?

Luffy plops down in a booth and a waiter immediately comes to serve him.

"Welcome to our tavern! What would you like to order?" This man is cheerful with a definite spring in his step.

"Um..." Luffy scans the menu halfheartedly. "Just get me some meat." He pushes the menu back at the waiter.

"Are you okay? You're looking a little glum." Luffy just shrugs. The waiter's smile falters for a moment but he brings it back with twice as much force.

"Don't be down, I don't like that frown!

It's a good day, whadda ya say?

The flowers all bloom, and there's still some room,

For a smile too, just for you!" He finishes reciting the poem and Luffy stares wide eyed. The waiter clears his throat awkwardly.

"How do you like it? I've been working on it for awhile." Luffy's open expression melts into a soft smile.

"I love it! Thank you!" His signature grin stretches across his face. The waiter lights up and bows.

"Well that's a good sight to see, a frown just doesn't seem right for your face." He scribbles down Luffy's order in his notepad.

"I'll be right back with your...meat I guess." The man walks away and Luffy rests his chin on the table.

He was going to dine and dash, but changes his mind. Luffy doesn't want to steal from these people, they seem nice. But he doesn't have enough money...

A few minutes later when Luffy sees his waiter pass by he waves him over.

"What's up kid?" He asks when he arrives. Luffy clenches his hand and has a determined expression.

"I don't have enough money to pay for my meal," he admits." but if you'd let me, I'd like to sing in exchange for my meat." The owner looks taken aback, not expecting this.

But he ponders hard about it, rubbing his chin in thought.

"I completely understand if you want to kick me out of your restaurant." Luffy says, looking down. But the man is shaking his head.

"No, I'm not going to do that. You're in luck kid, I'm the owner of this restaurant! I'll give you a shot, as long as you give us a good show." Luffy grins.

"Thank you! I'm Luffy! What's your name?" He asks, extending his hand. The owner grabs it firmly and shakes it vigorously.

"The name's Tim Jon Bin! But you can call me Tim!" The energy radiating off of this guy is almost on par with a hyper Luffy.

"Now," Tim continues. "We don't have a stage here because we don't book performers, but you can stand on the bar over there." He points to a stained wood bar at the front of the restaurant.

"Thanks!" Luffy grins and jumps up on the bar, immediately grabbing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

Luffy places his straw hat delicately in front of him for tips and thinks of a song to sing.

 _'Hmm this place is pretty upbeat so I think I'll do binks sake!'_ He starts singing out loud and lets his voice do the job while he wonders about his situation.

Based on the jerks he met by the docks, Luffy doesn't think he'll get anymore help from pirates. They all think he's some little kid playing around.

Finding Whitebeard in person is like finding a fish in the middle of a forest; almost impossible. What he needs is to get their direct attention.

But how can he do that?

Luffy finishes his song and the restaurant is silent. Someone drops a coin which is painfully loud in the quiet room.

He stands there embarrassed, thinking he did a horrible job. But suddenly someone stands up and claps.

Luffy looks on in surprise as the clapping is slow at first, but gradually speeds up as more people join in. Eventually the whole restaurant is on their feet giving him a standing ovation.

Luffy smiles in awe and bows to the audience. One by one the people come forward to place belis in his hat.

Once again he bows to them and jumps off of the bar. He immediately pockets the money and hangs his hat across his neck.

"C'mere kid." Tim beckons him over to the other side of the bar, holding a large steaming steak in his left hand.

Luffy practically skips over to the seat with drool coming from his mouth. He doesn't waste another second attacking the steak, but remembers the hurting in his stomach from before so Luffy paces himself a little.

"Your voice is amazing bud! You deserve that meal for sure!" Tim exclaims. Luffy just mumbles his thanks, not really caring, with food stuffed in his mouth.

He moves his fork to stab another piece but the plate tilts a little at the impact. Luffy scowls a little as some of the food rolls off the plate and onto the bar.

"Why don't you hold the plate with your other hand? You'll have an easier time eating." Tim suggests, grabbing a rag and cleaning off the surface.

Luffy silently puts his fork down and pulls his cloak away to expose his stump. As Tim's eyes widen, Luffy hides it again with a wink and then he's back to eating his heart out.

Tim blinks, baffled, but he soon starts laughing in amazement.

"You're so full of surprises kid. You can come in my restaurant anytime Luffy." He says warmly. Luffy gulps down the last of his steak and pushes the spotless plate towards Tim.

"Thanks for the meal!" He says with a grin. Then he's leaving the restaurant, waving goodbye all the while.

Luffy walks out to a beautiful sunset reflecting dramatically against the water, taking all his breath away.

Or it should have. All it does is remind him of the flames back in Foosha Village. He doesn't linger and turns away into the shadowy forest.

Luffy walks about the damp vegetation, leaves and branches crunching underfoot. He turns his head side to side, gazing at the massive trees around him.

"This one looks good!" Luffy says to himself. He is standing under a large oak tree. The branches are jutting out the sides at all angles. The soft leaves are fluttering in the evening breeze.

He moves to climb the tree, and hops up on the first few branches. Grabbing one with his hand, he swings upward to grab the next with his...other hand.

"Crap!" Luffy swings his arm and catches the branch just in time to prevent a _very_ long fall.

 _'Ive got to get used to having one arm.'_ He tells himself sternly. Adapting, Luffy climbs the rest of the way with practiced ease.

 _'This looks like a good spot!'_ Luffy hops up on a thick branch. He sinks to a seating position and relaxes his back against the truck.

 _'Aw man,'_ he groans. _'Ive got to drink that gross stuff.'_ Luffy unlatches the bag he keeps attached to his shorts.

He sighs as he pulls out the five bottles. Luffy flips open the first cap and braces himself for the bitter taste. When only a single drop lands on his tongue he closes his mouth and grunts in confusion.

"What the..." Luffy flips the small bottle upside down and shakes it, but nothing comes out. He checks each of the others and notices that two more are also empty.

 _'Well I was travelling for awhile wasn't I? Alice didn't give me much to start with either...'_ Luffy says mentally. She was probably trying to avoid suspicion from her boss.

Luffy pulls out the list she gave him and scrutinizes the names printed on it.

"Sc-sland-yerzitz?" He struggles to read. Eventually Luffy gives up and stuffs them all back in his bag. He sighs and leans back. Maybe he can cut back on some of them, he couldn't possibly need 'all' of these things. Luffy nods decisively, he doesn't need all that icky medicine anymore!

The sun is down now, and he can see the first hint of stars appearing in the sky. The breeze is soothing, but Luffy can't fall asleep. He can't stop thinking about the issue at hand.

Ace. He needs to figure out how to talk to him or his crew. Giving up is the last thing Luffy wants to do right now.

But like it or not Luffy needs to think hard on this. Why would a big shot like Whitebeard come to a small island like this in the 'West Blue?'

"If I was a pirate, why would I want to come back..." Luffy mumbles to himself.

Then an idea shoots through his head. If Whitebeard is protecting this island, that means if it is threatened then he will come and take care of it.

Luffy feels bad because this is Ace's crew, but the situation is too dire to go easy. So how can he cause havoc? Hurting or killing people is out of the question.

Not coming up with anything, Luffy tilts his head back to hit the trunk. He closes his eyes and slows his breathing.

 _'Damn, what do I do?'_ He thinks exasperatedly. Luffy sighs loudly and lolls his head to the side. In the distance he can still see the Jolly Roger waving proudly in the air.

"Their flag..." Luffy whispers. He can wreck their flag, the one thing showing their claim over the island.

 _'But will that be enough?'_ If he did it once, it wouldn't be a number one priority to them. Plus, time is running out, he needs them to come straight to him.

Luffy's head turns red and steamy from thinking so hard. He presses his index finger to his head and forces himself to continue.

 _'Destroying one flag isn't a big deal, but if I ruin a bunch of them they'll need to come find me.'_ He resolves. _'I need to go down to their protected islands one by one so that they notice me.'_ A cricket chirps somewhere and Luffy frowns.

A Jolly Roger is a pirate's pride, and that would be enough to make him come into the Blues.

Not wasting another minute, Luffy pulls his hood over his face and hops down the tree branch for branch. As soon as his feet touch the ground he shoots off towards the city.

Luffy slinks down an alleyway and peers around the empty street. Taking advantage of the darkness, Luffy steps out and walks to the square to put his plan into action. He only hopes Ace will forgive him.

The pole seems taller from up close. Luffy has to crane his head backwards to get a good look at the Jolly Roger.

He turns his head to the port not too far away. There are still some ships coming to and fro on late night trips.

"Hurry up and load it up boys. We've taken too long to do this shipment." One of the men says with his hands placed sternly on his hips. He nods over to a crew member dragging a wagon onto the ship.

"Especially you Larry. You're new on this ship and I heard you had a certain drinking problem."

"I'VE HAD NOTHING OF THE SORT!" But another man just ushers him away, patting his back. Luffy redirects his sight to the flag waving on their ship.

 _'Another Whitebeard mark. They must be protected too.'_ He smirks. _'Found my escape route. Gotta make this fast though, they're leaving.'_

Luffy scans the ground for something to throw at the flag. The dark makes it hard to see, but he manages to gather lots of sharp rocks.

He shuffles them around in his hand then pinches one in between his finger and thumb.

 _'Its now or never.'_ Luffy brings his arm back and launches it towards the flag. To his dismay, it misses by a wide berth. He blinks in surprise, then scowls.

Luffy flings another rock and this one grazes the tip of the fabric. He continues to fling them with better and better aim.

The flag looks completely disheveled when the amo runs out. Only bits and pieces of fabric remain attached to the pole. But the mark is definitely indistinguishable.

"Oi!"

The sudden shout startles Luffy and he jumps.

"What are you doing?" Luffy can see the man now as he steps out of his home. Several more curious faces peek from behind curtains and out their doors to see what the commotion is about.

"You destroyed the flag!" Someone else shouts. Most people turn to look at the remainder of the Jolly Roger and gape.

"You bastard!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Let's get him!" They all start to advance and Luffy doubles back towards the inner city.

He runs around the streets in a large circle, escaping the pursuing villagers. The only sound is sandals clacking against the pavement as Luffy sprints down to the docks.

Taking a huge running leap, he springs onto the merchant boat and hides behind a stack of crates.

"What...?" Luffy holds his breath as the crew walks around the deck.

"The waves are pretty rough today." He comments after a couple seconds. The crew mumbles their agreements as they drift further and further away.

Luffy peeks through the boxes back at the shore. The villagers are swarming the port, yelling and searching for him.

He chuckles mischievously and hides again. Getting as comfortable as he can be, Luffy curls up and falls fast asleep.

Line here

It's been a quiet night for Marco.

The whole Whitebeard crew had decided to hit the hay early after their drinking party. On the other hand, Marco has been filling out paperwork for the last several hours.

He rubs his eyes and forehead tiredly. Paperwork is the worst. At least no one has barged into his office yet, it must be a new record.

A sudden ring of his Den Den Mushi makes Marco's brain jolt awake. With a heavy sigh he pushes the papers out of the way and answers with a ka-chinc.

At that moment the door creaks open and Ace wanders in with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey Marco, Thatch-" Marco cuts him off with a finger to his lips and Ace shuts his mouth.

 _"Is this first division commander?"_ The voice on the end asks.

"Marco, and yes I am. Who is this?"

 _"I'm the mayor from Tellar Island in the West Blue."_ Marco recognizes it as one of their protected islands. _"Someone shot down your flag with rocks."_ Marco's mouth dips in a frown. Ace's eyes widen and he steps closer.

"Do you have any idea who did it-yoi?"

 _"Don't know, he or she was wearing a cloak with a hood."_

"Are there any pirates there? Can you go tell them to find this guy?" Marco asks, sitting up.

 _"Im sorry I can't,"_ the mayor says. _"The pirates just left along with most of the merchant ships."_ Marco sighs and rubs his aching head again.

"Just put up the spare. It's probably just some kid pulling a dumb prank."

 _"Well he was quite short, so I guess so."_ The mayor relents.

"Call me up if he decides to show his face again."

 _"Alright. Good bye."_ The line goes off and Ace whistles.

"Kids are so troublesome these days." He says, shaking his head. Marco stares at Ace for a few moments then snorts.

"Right, only kids are troublesome."

"Why do I feel like you're somehow talking about me?"

 **This chapter is shorter than the others, but this one is the smallest there's gonna be.**

 **Well, when I went to school bracing myself for the onslaught of homework guess how much I got?**

 **Nothing. I missed nothing. Literally, the only thing I had to do different was complete my science lab in one night instead of a week. BUT IT DIDN'T EVEN COUNT.**

 **REPLY'S TO REVIEWERS:**

 _ **Lunaxel:**_ **Florida was fun, thank you very much. I like angry Ace, it's fun mwahaha. Thank you for reading my story and I'm glad you enjoy it.**

 _ **mutteringsandramblings:**_ **Thanks man! (woman?)**

 **l** _ **ostdog200:**_ **Yes, yes he will in time.**

 _ **Guest (one that urges Ace to help Luffy):**_ **No problem, glad you like it!**

 _ **Guest (One that really enjoys the story):**_ ***hides in shame* ugh two handssss, awesome you love the story tho, thanks!**

 _ **Everlight18:**_ **Holy cow it's a novel (Just kidding)! As I was writing the though went through my mind of that any normal person would be passed out from blood loss, but, ya know, for the sake of the plot I made him toughen up lolz. I probably should get a beta, but meh, I get excited to post and don't wanna wait. As for the weapon, it's a bit complicated but he won't have something go-to like a sword or anything. And finally, he will not meet his crew in this story, sorry if you were looking forward to that. Thanks for reading and writing a long review.**

 _ **kagome11:**_ **That's right! Ace and Marco made an appearance! Woot! Thanks for reading!**

 _ **PsychopathOnaDiet:**_ **I'm honestly not sure what arm he lost, so let's just say it's his left (laughs sheepishly). That happy dance made me laugh, I'm glad the updates give you so much joy!  
**

 _ **xx-AnimeGirlz-xx:**_ **Thanks a lot!**

 _ **Cotton Candy Lover – Chopper:**_ **Aw shucks you're making me blush tee hee. Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this chapter!**

 _ **tenebreyami:**_ **I WILL NEVAR ABANDON!**

 _ **Alexzandria747:**_ **The mystery guy may or may not be a whitebeard pirate…tee hee. I will always continue writing foevaaaaaaaaaa. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!**

 _ **Greendrkness:**_ **Hehehe… *slowly backs away***

 _ **Guest (one that notices my blunder about two hands):**_ **I knowwwwwww…sigh**

 _ **EnixFairy:**_ **Lolz I think everyone is excited for Ace's reaction (I am also one of those people) and hey, I'm surprised how early I updated so I hope you like it!**

 _ **q. feuille7:**_ **I'm sorry but Sabo isn't going to be making an appearance, at least I don't think so. But I might add him in somewhere.**

 _ **xXxWolvesInTheNightXx:**_ **Me too m'friend.**

 _ **MikuTowaka:**_ **Well I'm glad you stopped to read this and here is yo update!**

 _ **Aqua468:**_ **THANK YOU.**

 _ **Trickster Madness:**_ **Saaaaaaaaame.**

 _ **Guest (One that liked it very much):**_ **MWAHAHA early update! Singer guy is a mystery for now…**

 _ **Lightningblade49:**_ **And you are right, it isn't going to be easy (I made sure of that). He is indeed handicapped seems a little different from other stories, no?**

 _ **MissSexyRain:**_ **It's going to take a bit to reach Ace sadly, but thanks for the nice review!**

 _Next time: Buggy the clowns and Marco frowns._

 _~After soccer playoffs_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

How long has it been? Not too long right…?

I hope you guys like this chapter, I added so much more than what was in my original plans to make it longer.

How long do you think this story is going to be? Take a guess, I'm curious of what you guys think.

 **DISCLAIMER**

 _Finally_ is all Luffy can think.

He runs through town, dodging adults and children alike doing some shopping. Luffy's eyes are fixated on the medicine shop at the end of the road. Panting harshly, he enters the building.

As soon as Luffy is inside he slams the list of medicine on the front desk. The clerk jumps in surprise and gasps softly. It takes her a moment to shift her attention to the paper and she picks it up delicately.

With a final look to Luffy she turns around and goes in the back room to fetch what he needs.

Finally catching his breath, Luffy sighs and sinks on a nearby chair. He sighs again, more loudly this time, and stares at the ceiling blankly.

His arm is throbbing, and so is his head. Luffy also notices he's significantly weaker, like when he first got the shackle strapped on.

The ride had lasted longer than he originally thought. He was stuck on that boat for an extended week with his constant full body ache.

 _'Well,'_ Luffy thinks. _'Nothing a little medicine can't fix.'_ He looks around the shop to keep his mind off the pain.

There isn't that many people in the store, mostly just gossiping old ladies and the occasional mother. Beside the shelves nearby, Luffy can hear the quibbling of two old men.

"Did you hear? About Tellar Island I mean." The one with glasses says to his companion. Luffy's attention peaks. The other grunts.

"How could I not? Especially if it's our island this hooligan might be coming after next."

"This person must be daft if he's messing around with Whitebeard's affairs." The companion shakes his head.

"Even though it's been a week everyone is still on their toes about this. The town hall has even posted guards around the flag just in case the attacker comes by."

 _'So they have guards,'_ Luffy notes. _'and looks like word is spreading quickly too.'_ He feels happy for his achievement, but hopes with all his might that Ace's crew will forgive him.

The man adjusts his glasses on the tip of his nose.

"The young these days."

"Grandpa!"

Luffy hears twin scampering and turns his head to look.

There are two young boys, around 10 and 7 with big grins plastered on their faces. They are both dirty all over with twigs sticking out of their hair at all angles.

A pang hits Luffy's chest but he doesn't know what it is.

"Grandpa! Guess what? Guess what?" The younger one says energetically, bouncing on his toes. The glasses man leans to his friend with a smile.

"Speaking of the young." He whispers, making the listener chuckle. He turns back to his grandson. "What is it little Henry? Did you and Lucas catch the mystery creeper in the waterfall cave? Or was it the cliff river?"

"It's the river in the cave grandpa." Lucas corrects, obviously annoyed. "And it wasn't a _'mystery creeper'_ it was a water snake. I swear grandpa, your memory is getting worse and worse. No wonder you spend all your time in this sick bay."

"Lucas!" Their grandpa's friend scolds. "Don't be so rude! To your grandfather or this establishment." Lucas just grumbles and looks away. Henry looks like he is going to explode.

" _Anyway,_ if you are all done talking, we found a good hiding spot to see if the guy is going to attack our flag. You know the guy, the one that got Tellar Island-" His grandpa raises a hand to stop his grandson's ramblings.

"Yes, Henry. I'm aware who it is. But you two shouldn't be fooling around such business. It's very dangerous."

"But Grandpa-"

"I don't want to hear it! I expect better of you too Lucas." He says, looking at the elder brother. Lucas just mutters something offensive under his breath.

"What was that Lucas?"

"Nothing grandpa." He says with fake innocence. "C'mon Henry, we've got better stuff to do than hang around this place." They run outside and the old friends follow behind them.

"You're not leaving yet! Get back here or I'm going to talk to your parents!" The grandpa yells, shaking a fist in the air. Luffy watches until their figures disappear from view.

He stares at the vacant spot until well after they are gone. Allowing the numb feeling into his body, Luffy lets it spread and he zones out.

The crunching sound of a paper bag makes Luffy's senses return. He looks down, concerned about the large pain in his chest. Only this time he knows what it is as he stands to get his medicine.

Envy.

"That'll be 70 belis." says the clerk, tapping her long painted nails on the wooden surface.

Luffy rummages through his pocket. Taking out the proper amount, he realizes with a sigh he doesn't have many belis left.

The woman takes the money, eyeing him suspiciously. But Luffy doesn't care, he's already walking out the door.

When the sunbeams hit his face, Luffy yawns loudly and stretches his arm. The ship had docked mid afternoon and he slept the entire trip. It is now late afternoon and he needs something to eat before taking down this flag.

He looks over to the Jolly Roger waving strongly near the port. The guards aren't directly beneath the pole, but they are a bit spread out around the area. Each one of them is making polite conversation with passerby's, but Luffy sees their eyes occasionally flick back to the flag.

The town this time is more barren than the others. The houses and buildings are all made of creaky wood with some on really high stilts. It kind of reminds Luffy of some sort of cool jungle village.

With a moment to himself, Luffy takes his medicine with a gag. He never gets used to the bitter taste, but his energy immediately returns. Glancing off to the side, Luffy sees a news stand with the town paper.

Squinting his eyes to make out the title of the front page, Luffy mumbles it aloud.

"Will our flag be next?"

"You betcha!" Luffy spins around to the two children he had spot previously in the shop, Lucas and Henry.

"Henry! Don't just go up to strangers!" Lucas scolds. Henry looks up at Luffy, disregarding his brothers warning.

"We're going to catch him when he's just about to attack! Look!" Henry points to a tall tree just across the street from the flag. "We're going to be just like superheroes!"

"Don't tell him everything idiot!" Lucas yells again, flicking Henry on the forehead. Henry pouts and rubs the sore spot. "You're just bothering him with all your babble."

"Sugeeeee!" They both turn and are surprised to see Luffy with stars in his eyes.

"Superheroes are so cool!" They both blink in disbelief, but Henry quickly jumps next to Luffy and rubs a finger under his nose arrogantly.

"That's right! And we're definitely going to be the best heroes ever when we catch him!" A large growl makes them all silent. Luffy holds his stomach embarrassingly.

"Oops got to go get something to eat." Henry smiles and holds out a fist.

"Okay then. My name is Henry and this is my older brother Lucas. When we meet again, Lucas and I will be heroes!" Luffy chuckles and bumps his fist against the tinier one.

"Good luck catching him!" He says, totally forgetting he's the one they are after. "See ya~!"

"Wait! We didn't get your name!" Lucas yells when Luffy has already jogged a fair distance ahead.

"Luffy!" He responds, still waving. Then he turns around and jogs into the busier area of the jungle town.

A nice feeling settles in his stomach as Luffy slows to a walk. By seeing the boys' determination, it makes him want to work extra hard to get to his own brother.

* * *

Luffy exits the restaurant into the warm night. He swishes a toothpick side to side in his mouth trying to get it in between his teeth.

Since his earnings had reduced to a bare minimum, Luffy had sung in the restaurant. He earned his food and belis and left with a cheerful word from a few citizens.

Luffy honestly doesn't mind getting into this little routine. He always likes music and smiles, so this isn't all that bad!

Spitting the toothpick out the side of his mouth, Luffy turns his head up to look at the many twinkling stars.

 _'I wonder if Ace is looking up at these right now...'_ He ponders. ' _Or Makino.'_

Luffy frowns, his face going into uber serious mode (which just looks like a strong pout). He needs a faster way to take down that flag. The guards are sticking to the pole like glue and are not letting off.

Luffy has a clear view of the flag from where he is standing, but also the tall tree across from it.

 _'I hope Lucas and Henry get that bad guy!'_ Luffy exclaims mentally, again forgetting who they are after.

The flickering of a flame grabs Luffy's attention. He looks over to a lone villager lighting one of the many large torches scattered around town.

Luffy eyes the matches in his hand as the man struggles to get the flame going. When the torch bursts to light he drops the remainder of the match into it. Finished with the job, he places the box in his back pocket and walks away.

An idea starts to form in Luffy's mind and he creeps behind the unsuspecting citizen.

 _'Too easy!'_ Luffy thinks and he swipes the pack without being noticed. Stuffing it in his pocket, Luffy looks around for something that can catch on fire easily.

Suddenly, Luffy remembers the newspaper stand from earlier today. In a few short minutes, he's near the shop. There's a woman packing up for the night, putting the papers away in boxes.

With the same amount of difficulty as before, Luffy sneakily takes a newspaper and speed walks away.

 _'Now for the rock...'_ Luffy heads off towards the port. When he arrives, Luffy jumps down from the docks onto the cold sand. He immediately begins his search with only the moonlight as his guide.

While looking at the ground, he completely misses the sign in front of him until he smacks right into it.

"Gah!" Luffy cringes, rubbing his head. What's the big idea with this sign getting in his way?!

It's too dark to make out the writing, so Luffy takes the box of matches out of his pocket and sticks it in his mouth. He pulls out a match and strikes it against the rough surface, igniting a tiny flame on the tip.

With the box still held between his teeth, Luffy holds the small light up and discovers that the sign is a chart of incoming and departing ships. He can't believe his luck!

 _'Ill just go on...this one!'_ There's a merchant ship scheduled to leave a half an hour from now.

All of a sudden he hears a crack in the bushes. He spins around to look, but drops the match in the sand. Luffy curses softly. After placing the box back in his pocket, he bends down to get the match but finds something else.

It's a perfect rock! The match flickers out but it's quickly forgotten. Luffy plops on his backside and takes the newspaper out of his cloak.

With some struggle, he manages to wrap the rock completely in the paper.

 _'Amo complete!'_ Luffy grins, proud of his creation.

The cracking resumes and Luffy shoots up from his spot. He gets in a defensive stance and glares at the forest up ahead.

 _'I bet it's a rabbit again.'_ He thinks, annoyed. But this time there's red eyes glowing in the bushes, and that growling is definitely 'not' his stomach.

Slowly the animal steps out into the moonlight, its massive muscles rippling with every step it takes.

Luffy glares at the wolf. He can take this guy no big deal. Even if his arm is down for the count, he's got another and two legs to battle with.

"Bring it on!" He yells and takes a step forward. But there is more rustling behind the predator and two other wolves emerge. Their mouthes are foaming and their fur is standing on end.

"Crap..." Luffy mutters. Three is a lot more than one. So when the first springs right at him, he swings a fist straight into his nose. The wolf barrels back into the other two, knocking them off their paws.

Luffy makes a break into the forest hoping to get cover in the dark undergrowth. But the wolves have great noses, and soon he can hear their panting behind him.

A sudden howl from one of them makes Luffy jump a little and he glances back.

 _'Yikes!'_ There is one _literally_ at his heels trying to get a good bite of his ankle. Luffy kicks his foot out and catches the predator in the eye. It swings its head to the side but continues pursuit.

Luffy turns his head back to the front but is startled to see the two wolves jumping at him. On a split second decision he ducks downward letting the two sail over his head and land in a tangled heap.

The two wolves start scrabbling at each other, as if they didn't want to share a meal. They both leap at each other and claw at each other's throats. Luckily they are completely distracted from the chase.

But Luffy is distracted too. He forgets about the third wolf in that moment and it takes the opportunity to close in fast.

He screams in agony as the sharp teeth sink into his leg. The wolf pulls at the flesh, trying to rip it off. Luffy kicks at its face with his other foot but the animal does not let up.

"Get off..." he mumbles, eyes shadowed. The wolf is biting harder and Luffy scrunches his face in pain.

"Get off," he repeats, louder this time. But the wolf continues, only focusing on getting its meal.

 **"GET OFF!"** Luffy shouts. Energy ripples through the air, rustling the leaves and courses through everything in the vicinity.

Then the oddest thing happens. The wolf stops biting and attacking all together. Instead it fixes its now wide and fearful gaze on Luffy, then passes out on the spot.

Luffy is left a panting mess, propped up on his elbow. He watches the wolf for any signs of consciousness, but it merely twitches occasionally in its sleep.

Looking past the wolf he observes the two others, but they are in a similar state as their friend.

Luffy doesn't dwell on what just happened. Instead he pushes himself up to a sitting position and examines his wound. He pokes it experimentally and hisses. It's a nasty one, but it's nothing he hasn't received before back on Dawn Island.

Luffy rummages through the paper bag on his side and pulls out his bandages. He wraps it around his leg (albeit messily) and secures it by pulling it tight.

"Two hands would be great to tie a knot right about now." Luffy mutters. Scooting over to a tree, Luffy places his hand on the rough bark and pushes himself up on one foot.

He places his injured leg on the ground delicately, testing its weight. The leg stings a little, as expected, but he can still walk pretty well on it.

A sudden flash of light has Luffy blind for a moment. He brings his arm up to block the brightness, but it's gone as fast as it came.

Luffy watches the space where the light had come from. In the distance he can make out people hurrying around in a frenzy.

Wait. They're definitely people but they're also...clowns?

Immensely curious, Luffy decides to check it out. He glances at the wolves one last time then hurries away before they wake up.

The closer Luffy gets to the beach, the brighter his surroundings become. Soon enough he can walk without stumbling on random twigs and roots.

Luffy reaches the edge of the forest and gapes. There is a pirate ship, but it is much larger and cooler than any of the others Luffy has seen.

Not only that, but there is indeed _clowns_ carrying boxes and chests of gold onto said ship. It is one of the most awesome things Luffy has laid eyes on and he marvels at it all.

 _'Are they performing pirates or something? Maybe they're nice guys!'_ When a man with checkerboard hair walks by Luffy is about to talk to him, but stops when he sees the 6 guns strapped under his jacket.

 _'Or maybe they're not.'_ Luffy settles behind a bush and watches them work. What Luffy doesn't understand is why they are docked completely around the bay and far from the port. It's a really long way from town and such an inconvenience.

Luffy is distracted from his thoughts when a clown with a very large shiny red nose smacks one of the crew.

"What did I tell you about going into town?! If someone catches sight of us and tells Whitebeard, we'll be _flashily_ killed!" He shrieks. The crew members around him shiver in fear.

"I'm sorry captain Buggy," the subordinate stutters. "But we were running low on confetti cannons a-and I thought they were necessary sir!" Buggy rubs his chin in thought.

"They _are_ important for our normally _flashy_ entrances...fine. You're lucky I'm such a good captain or you'd be dead by now." The wimpy man falls to his knees and kisses the ground before his captain.

"Thank you captain Buggy! You are truly the best captain in all of he seas!" He bellows.

"Well of course I am! Now get back to work!" Buggy orders.

"Aye aye!" He scampers away and a man with a half shaved head walks next to his captain.

"Captain, do we really have to go to another Whitebeard protected island? I mean, one is risky, but two seems to be pushing it."

"We have to Cabaji! We didn't find the materials we need to rebuild the figurehead and the next closest island is that one." Buggy responds.

"But captain-"

"Enough Cabaji! Even if Whitebeard shows up...I'll show him just how powerful the Buggy crew just is! Yes, he'll cower at our strength!" He shouts. The crew cheers in response.

"So does that mean we can dock closer to town when we get there?"

"NO WAY! I-I mean we should stay away from the port just to keep the citizens from panicking. You know...just in case they are too afraid to give us what we need..." Buggy trails off weakly and cowardly. Suddenly he coughs and his voice goes back to its loud and boisterous self.

"Anyway, I don't want to have to spend another second here! Just load up the things we stole off the island! Quickly!"

"Aye aye captain!" The crew chants in unison.

Luffy, on the other hand, has his eyes trained on the large lion playing with a ball the size of a small car. He laughs when it stumbles over the toy and rolls on its back.

His laughter eventually dies down and he wipes the tears from his eyes.

 _'That was hilarious! Now what did that clown do? I thought I heard him say something.'_ Luffy hums and racks his brain but he soon gives up.

 _'Oh well I guess he didn't say anything.'_ Luffy turns away from the beach and goes back into the forest.

He is reluctant to leave the cool clowns, but he needs to destroy the flag before his boat leaves.

Once Luffy has made fair distance between himself and the pirates he walks the rest of the way on the beach.

 _'Didn't forget about you!'_ He exclaims mentally, taking the paper covered rock off the ground where he left it by the sign.

 _'Now for the hard part.'_ Luffy sneaks beside a building and peeks around the corner.

The pole holding the flag is at the centre of the clearing. There are four guards, each one looking either north, east, south or west. They're all holding guns against their chests, ready to swing them into action at any moment.

 _'I need a good distraction.'_ He resolves, pulling up his hood. Luffy scans the area when his eyes land on one of the big tiki torches lined along the street.

As soon as the guard nearest to him turns away, he slinks past and hides behind the torch.

 _'Here goes nothing.'_ Luffy takes a few steps back then body checks the tiki. It wobbles a little, but doesn't tip over. So Luffy tries again and again until the rocking becomes unsteady.

"Do you guys hear that creaking sound?" A guard asks his comrades. They all strain their ears to listen.

But it's too late for them as the torch is already teetering over to the next one beside it. There is a large boom when the collision happens. It causes the second torch to lean over and hit the next in line like a domino effect.

What Luffy didn't plan for is _all_ of them to catch on fire. A circle of fire is created and people run out of their homes to escape the flames.

The guards abandon their posts and go for the hoses to quell the fire. Luffy takes advantage of the distraction and places his rock on the ground.

He pulls a match out of the box and holds it next to the flickering flames, watching as it catches on fire. Luffy takes a deep breath and focuses. This is going to be difficult, he can't mess up.

Quickly, Luffy lights the rock on fire and throws the match away. He covers his hand in his cloak and grabs the flaming rock. With a hiss of pain, he throws it at the flag with all his might. The rock barely skims the side but it's enough as the Jolly Roger catches on fire.

Luffy watches the flag turn to ashes as he blows on his burnt hand. Having one arm really sucks.

"Henry!"

Luffy looks up behind him to the tall tree. Hanging from a high branch is none other than Henry. Lucas is at the base of the branch, desperately trying to reach his brother. Below them is the fire and smoke, slowly climbing upwards.

"Help!" Henry cries, struggling to hold on.

Quick as a snake Luffy runs towards them, but a sudden burst of flames blocks his way.

"Damn it!" He curses, covering his mouth to filter out the smoke. Henry is still dangling helplessly by his fingertips. Every time Lucas tries to reach out, the weight makes the branch bend closer to the fire.

Luffy looks around for something to assist him. Then, he sees the men grabbing hoses and drenching buildings away from where the children are.

"Oi!" Luffy yells, running towards them. Several men turn to him, but they keep the hoses running.

"They need help! The fire is too strong over there!" Luffy points to the ailing brothers. Just as he does, the branch makes a sickening crack and both brothers scream. The branch bends sharply downward right above the flames, but stays intact.

"Holy Sea Kings! Men! Aim your hoses over there while two of us go and rescue those boys." Without delay, the guards turn the water to the fire near the grand tree. Luffy runs to the edge of the fire, impatient to get closer.

There is another crack and Henry screams as his hand slips off the branch. Though the fire has quelled a little bit, it's not enough to prevent damage.

Everyone scrambles to catch the boy, but he is much too far for any of them to grab.

"Henry!" Lucas yells desperately, gripping the wood so hard it draws blood.

Luffy backs up a few steps then sprints as hard as he can and leaps high in the air. He crashes into Henry mid-jump and they fly over the fire and into the forest.

The cool vegetation feels like instant relief on their skin, but they keep coughing from the smoke. The light from the fire illuminates the dark forest, making clear visibility. Luffy groans and rolls over on his stomach. Not too far away is Henry, looking shaky but overall okay.

"Henry! Henry!" Luffy looks over to Lucas as he slides next to his brother. He pulls Henry on his lap and looks him in the eye.

"Are you alright?" He asks. Henry nods and shrugs out of his brother's lap. Lucas turns his relieved gaze over to Luffy. The change is instant as stone cold fury takes over his features.

"We saw everything. You're the one that's destroying the flags." Luffy just stares at them from under his hood, expressionless.

"It's your fault!" Lucas yells, balling his bloody hands into fists. "You started the fire and put Henry in danger!" Henry stands up and grabs at his brother's sleeve.

"But Lucas! He saved me when I fell!" He pleads. Lucas's cold gaze does not waver.

"He's the one that caused the fall in the first place! Now he's going to pay!" Lucas walks toward Luffy with his fist raised.

"Lucas stop! He's not a bad person! Please!" Henry grabs his brothers arm and tries to pull him backwards. Lucas stops for a moment and looks back at Henry.

"Why are you defending him? He put our town in danger! He put _you_ in danger! How can you possibly forgive him for everything he's done?!" They are all silent and only the crackling of flames is heard.

"Because he didn't want to hurt anybody. He's a good person Lucas, I can tell." Luffy stares at the elder. He watches as Lucas tenses up, then sags in what appears to be defeat.

"You're a handful, you know that right?" Lucas says, ruffling his little brother's hair. Henry giggles delightedly.

The flames are smaller now, as the townspeople are doing everything to get rid of them. The air is clearer where the trio stand, and they don't cough as much.

"I don't understand," Lucas turns back to Luffy. "Why would you do all of that and not want to cause any harm?" Luffy chooses this moment to stand up. His hood shadows his face, so they can't recognize him.

"Because it's to find someone who can help me." He answers.

"Then get the marines to help. Surely you don't need to go through all this trouble to find one single person." Lucas says in disbelief. Luffy shakes his head.

"This is something those dumb marines can't help with." He pouts. Lucas suddenly realizes how young this person seems. "If I want to save something really important to me, only my brother can help!"

"Brother?" Henry says shyly. Luffy grins. Suddenly, gun shots go off and they all duck to the forest floor.

"It was the person messing around with the flags that did this! I saw him throw a flaming rock from my window!" Someone yells.

"He must be nearby!"

"Men! Head for the docks! Don't let him get away!" says a guard. Most scamper off to the port while others remain to search the forest.

 _'I need to get on that ship and fast!'_ Luffy thinks. He moves to get up but there is crashing of men's boots all around them.

"Maybe he took those kids that landed in the forest too." All three can hear one of them say.

"I hope they're alright. I'll beat that damn hooligan if I see he's laid a finger on them!" Another says. Luffy tenses at the menace in his tone.

Something prods at Luffy's side. He turns to Lucas and Henry questioningly. Lucas leans in close to Luffy.

"We'll make a distraction. You go on ahead." Luffy blinks at him.

"But why would you help?" He whispers back. Henry giggles quietly beside Lucas.

"It's because you need to find your brother! I would do the same if I needed Lucas's help." Lucas and Luffy smile at Henry. Luffy nods firmly.

"Alright. I'm relying on you." He rolls under a nearby bush as the other two stand up from the ground.

"Someone? Anybody there?" Lucas asks innocently.

"It's scary in these woods alone!" Henry says with fake worry. The crashing is louder this time and Luffy ducks down further.

"Are you boys okay?! Did the fire hurt you?" A few men emerge from the bushes and the first kneels down to the brothers. Henry shakes his head exaggeratedly.

"It didn't get me that bad, but the meanie who grabbed me ran away over there!" With childish tears running down his face, he points in the opposite direction of the port. Luffy struggles to hold his laughter, these guys are hilarious!

"Don't worry boys, we'll get him! Jackson, take these kids home. The rest of us will pursue the villain." The men run in the direction Henry directed while Jackson ushers them home.

They both look back and smile when Luffy winks at them from his spot. When they are gone from sight, Luffy crawls out of the bush and sprints to the port.

 _'Damn it!'_ He curses mentally.

There are guards _everywhere._ All around the ports, on every ship, and looking in every direction.

Luffy walks around the shelter of the forest trying to catch a glimpse of his transportation. As he steps a little closer, he notices a new poster plastered on the schedule board.

 **ALL SHIPS ARE TO BE INSPECTED! NO LEAVING PORT** **UNTIL TOMORROW** **AFTER INSPECTION! ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO COOPERATE WILL BE SUBJECT TO QUESTIONING!**

Luffy looks to the boat he is supposed to be on, but to his disappointment it is full of guards. He's got to leave _now._ They are clearing the island from head to toe and they will find him eventually.

 _'Wait, is that ship still there...'_

Luffy's suddenly breaks into the forest. He sprints as fast as his injured leg allows, in hopes to catch the clown ship he visited earlier.

When he reaches the edge of the forest, Luffy bursts into the clearing. A smile pulls at the edges of his lips.

 _'Its still here!'_ But to his dismay he is looking at the back end of the ship.

"No! Wait!" Luffy runs to the leaving ship. He sees that the anchor still isn't pulled up yet and decides it's do or die.

Running probably the fastest in his life, he makes a running leap over the water between him and the rope. When his hand connects to the rope, he grips it for dear life while his legs kick at empty air.

" _Come on..._ " Luffy grits as he struggles to hold on.

Luffy flails his legs and barely manages to scrabble on. He is panting harshly and eventually he slowly inches his way toward the deck.

When he reaches the peak, he looks over the railing. The clown-er- _pirates,_ are running around making preparations to leave. The big nose clown waves his arms around commandingly.

"Hurry up! There's action in town so they might have seen us! Someone pull up the anchor now!" He yells.

"Yes captain Buggy!" Luffy knows then that he needs to move. Quickly and silently, he jumps over the railing and ducks behind an open steel door.

Pausing at the entrance, he takes one last peek at the island. The fire isn't nearly as bad as it could have been, it has hardly touched the forest at all. Luffy watches, mesmerized as smoke rises from the barren pole in the centre of town, then closes the door behind him.

He swallows thickly and shuts his eyes tight. Too much like Foosha.

Pushing his bad memories away, he looks at his surroundings.

Wherever he is it is really dark, but the small hole of light from the window on the door exposes the outline of a staircase leading downwards. Luffy cautiously steps to the bottom deck, wary of the darkness around him.

At the end of the stairs is another steel door. When Luffy pulls it open he is met with what appears to be the cargo hold. The moon is shining directly into the windows along the wall, illuminating the room. Boxes and barrels are stacked from floor to ceiling unevenly and messily.

Luffy grins widely when he sees a barrel of apples next to the window. He trots over and plops on top of two crates piled next to it. Stretching his legs out, Luffy grabs an apple and munches it leisurely.

Upstairs he can hear the thumping of drunken footsteps dancing to loud music. Luffy grumbles and bites his apple, he wants to party too!

After eating enough apples to ease his hunger, he pulls out his bag of medicine. He downs the bottles in seconds and sticks his tongue out in disgust.

"Blech!" He says out loud, packing the bottles away. Then he notices the bandages sitting snuggly at the bottom of the bag. Luffy realizes he hasn't changed his bandages in awhile so he unwraps his old dirty ones.

He's not going to lie, it looks pretty red. The stitches feel a little sore too, but he supposes it's normal after the large wound he received.

Luffy touches the nub and notices it feels a little numb to the touch. Perhaps it is the work of the medicine. He shrugs and starts wrapping it up again with fresh bandage.

Just as he pulls the last knot tight, a loud boom startles him. A massive crash and rattle reverberate throughout the ship.

The cheers from upper deck suddenly turn into shouts when another boom is heard. This time, something crashes through the cargo hold.

Luffy jumps up on a crate on the far wall. A gaping hole is created right at the place where he was just siting. Water pours in at a rapid rate and floods the floors.

 _'What the-oh no.'_ Luffy wobbles on the crate as it starts to float along with the rest of the cargo. He leans against the back wall, trying to regain his balance. One bad fall and he's done for.

Once he's stable, Luffy carefully leans away from the wall and gets in a balanced stance. He jumps onto the box closest to him and repeats the pattern until he meets the door.

It is slightly ajar from the cannon attack earlier so Luffy pushes it open while balancing on a barrel. Most of the stairs aren't drowned in water so Luffy hops up onto the dry portion. As soon as his feet touch the steps he bursts onto the open deck.

It's a frenzy. Clown pirates are running in all directions setting up cannons and patching up the ship. Nobody spares him a glance as they sprint all over the deck.

Another whistle pierces the air and something lands into the water next to them. Luffy grips the wall as the ship heaves to the side. Several crew members lose their footing and slide across the deck.

Luffy looks out into the darkness but can't see what is attacking them. Another boom sounds and a flash of light projects off the water.

Then he sees a pirate ship ahead of them. The cannon heads to the enemy ship but lands just short of the stern. The pirates growl in frustration and scramble even harder to load the cannons.

Luffy feels a slight panic, he can't have the ship sink! He can't swim! Even rowing out on an escape boat is out of the question with one arm.

A sloshing from behind has Luffy turning around. More and more stairs are being covered in the water from the newly created hole.

 _'They all don't know they were hit! I've got to tell them before this thing goes down.'_ He realizes. _'I can't let them know I'm here though, they'd kick me off the ship or kill me.'_

A short clown pirate walking rather unsteadily passes in front of Luffy, obviously still drunk from their previous party. He's wearing colourful striped harem pants and a bright blue turtleneck sweater. He has an overly large polka dot top hat, big yellow shoes and a red curly wig.

Obviously the poor soul can't take all the action happening around him and he passes out face first on the deck. Luffy immediately grabs the fellow and drags him behind a wall.

A few minutes later, Luffy emerges wearing the costume. It's a little baggy, but it'll do. He choses to leave his cloak on though to hide his missing limb. Luffy steps back out into the havoc, leaving the unconscious and almost naked man on the ground hidden.

Luffy runs around deck until he sees their captain...Booney, no! Um... Buggy! Yes, _Buggy,_ standing on the higher deck giving orders and listening to reports. Luffy pulls the wig further down his face to keep it hidden and stumbles over his big shoes to Buggy.

"Buddy! I mean, Captain Buggy! I have something urgent to report!" Luffy yells. 'Captain Buggy' turns to him with a big sneer.

"Well get on with it! What's wrong?" He screeches back.

"The cargo hold has been hit by cannon fire and is flooding fast! We'll sink if it's not fixed soon. Sir!" Luffy adds for emphasis, saluting. Buggy turns to two men running across the deck.

"You two! Go gather more people and patch up the hole on lower deck! Now! You go too!" Luffy jumps when he is addressed. "I'm not going to let a simple hole sink us, if we go down, it has to be as _flashily_ as possible! But of course, they can never sink us because I am the strongest pirate in all the blues! Gyahahahaha!" Buggy jumps down from his perch and... _splits apart?_

His body parts (except his feet) fly off of the ship and head to the enemy ship, Buggy cackling the whole way. Luffy marvels at the power with starry eyes but one of the clowns tugs him towards the storage room.

All three scamper off, but when they round the corner Luffy stops and back tracks. He replaces the clown clothes for his originals and throws them overboard. Then he tosses the drunk pirate overboard with a life buoy.

Luffy looks around his hiding place and is relieved to see that the Buggy pirates have fixed the hole and removed most of the water from the storage room.

"Hey, do you recognize that guy?" Luffy stiffens when a pirate asks his companion. He glances at them and they are indeed looking in his direction.

Luckily, another cannon shot distracts them and they go off running to help. Luffy runs to a place with better cover, it's a small space between the captain's quarters and the main mast. He sits snuggly between the two and observes the fighting.

Luffy breathes a sigh of relief hours later when the Buggy pirates pull through and the other ship sinks. The crew cheers in unison as Buggy flies back to the ship with a shit eating grin.

"No one can defeat Captain Buggy! Strongest pirate in all of the blues!" He declares. Everyone chants Buggy's name. "It's time to party!"

The crew cheers even louder, and a party is set up faster than anything Luffy has ever seen before. Everyone is beginning to wind down again and Luffy decides he needs to find someplace else to go.

So when no one seems to be looking, Luffy climbs up the main mast and jumps on to the abandoned crows nest. He lays down on his back and allows his legs to dangle off the sides. Luffy sets his arm on his stomach as he watches the celebration unfold.

He thinks over the events of his busy day and feels a bit overwhelmed. What if this plan doesn't work? What if he's just wasting time?

But then he shakes his head to rid all of his self doubt. This will work. He'll see Ace again. He _won't_ fail.

Luffy sighs and looks up at the stars.

He can do this.

* * *

"Right here! Right here! Get your newspaper here! Big headline! 6 Whitebeard flags shot down in one month! That's right folks one month! And the culprit has not been caught! Read all about it here!"

Luffy reads his own newspaper. He's been listening to the salesman and the shocked reactions of the citizens for awhile now.

He places the paper delicately on his lap and selects another cracker from his bag. When he crunches on it crumbs fly off the sides and fall on the ground. Previously gathered seagulls flock his feet in hopes of getting a piece of the tasty snack.

Luffy watches the squabbling seagulls in amusement then picks up the paper again.

From what the article says, it seems that they've picked up on the fact that he hitches rides from merchant ships and that he's been going along the islands in order.

He grins to himself, anytime now the Whitebeard crew will come along and find him. Though, he's upset it's taking this long. But it won't be far away anymore, he most definitely has their attention now.

Now that the newspaper is out, Luffy figures, people are going to be much warier of stowaways on their ships. That goes for pirates too, they will look for the first opportunity to send him in for some sort of reward.

Luffy tosses the paper aside and stretches his sore shoulders. He's been squeezing in some training between trips to improve his aim and accuracy. This entire expedition has made him weak, and he can't fall behind!

Luffy puts another cracker in his mouth and stands up. The seagulls scatter into the sky, cawing all the while. He watches them for a moment then turns around, smirking.

He walks into town, shuffling the matches in his pocket.

* * *

"Pops, it's getting out of hand. Someone is definitely sending a message."

Marco looks up to his father and captain, Whitebeard, with a newspaper clutched in his hand.

"You're right my son." Whitebeard responds. "We've had too many of our crew away on missions to handle this one, but now we can take action." Marco nods and crosses his arms.

"It's probably someone who wants to challenge us-yoi. Though I have to admit, this person is really adamant on getting our attention." Whitebeard takes a swig of his sake.

"If I'm right, this challenger has been going in a line pattern. They are leading us straight to them."

"I don't know whether they are stupid or smart-yoi." Marco snorts. Whitebeard chuckles and stands up. The wooden deck creaks under his massive weight.

"Marco, take Thatch, Izo and Ace with you on this mission."

"Actually pops," Marco scratches his head tiredly. "Ace is still away on his mission for the time being. When we called, he said something about some giant lizard and hung up." Whitebeard laughs and it booms through the room.

"Gurararararara! Alright my son, just take Thatch and Izo then. That should be enough to take care of this issue."

"Alright-yoi. We'll leave right away." Marco says, and he goes outside to tell his brothers of their new mission.

* * *

Luffy is screwed.

He's currently running to the docks, praying that some ship is leaving this Oda forsaken island. Luffy runs through the boxes piled high under the orange torchlights.

He turns a corner and ducks down between two large rocks. Behind him, people are yelling and running everywhere. Luffy just sinks to the ground, fighting to keep his eyes open. He has to wait until they leave.

How did he land in this mess? Well, it all started when he set the flag on fire. Luffy had tried to get around the guards by pretending to be a merchant (much like his and Ace's trips to sell crocodile skin). But the guards had figured out his intentions and attempted to catch him. Now he's been running around practically all night, dodging guards and looking for a way out.

He sighs and leans further onto the rock, but a cracking sound has him sitting up again. Luffy takes out his paper bag and his face immediately turns into a scowl.

"Damn it!" He flips the bag upside down and morsels of glass and liquid slip out. The bag was jostled too much while he was running and now everything is destroyed and unusable. Only one jar remains intact, but the contents are low. He packs it away anyway, saving it for later.

Luffy rests his head against the rock and breathes heavily. His energy is sapping away like he just got his cuff on again. That medicine was nullifying the drowsy effects of sea stone, but without it he's back to being weak and tired.

 _'I've got to clear my head.'_ Luffy tells himself. _'Keep going down the port, there_ has _to be an open ship.'_ He strains his ears for anymore footsteps, but they have all gone.

Carefully, Luffy jogs on the silent docks. He's extremely open but no one comes to investigate. Up ahead he can see a gathering of the people after him. Luffy ducks behind a brick building and peeks at them.

It's too far away to hear anything, but he can tell that they're arguing with someone. One of the men from the group breaks off and charges the person they are arguing with.

Several of his companions hold him back with struggle while the other man just stands there with an angry sneer. Then he spins around and waves his hand dismissively at them. None of the group look pleased, but they move elsewhere.

Someone else pops out of nowhere and talks to the remaining man. They converse for awhile then board their ship.

Wait. Ship?

Luffy distracts his eyes from the men to the large wooden vessel.

' _A pirate ship!'_ He thinks excitedly. Luffy manages to get closer and hides behind a cart. At this point more men have come off the ship to get more cargo.

Nothing can make Luffy happier than to have a nice long nap right now but he flicks his head to stay awake. Stupid cuff making him exhausted!

Luffy looks around the area but there aren't any openings he can use to get on the ship. If he runs, he'll be too open and there are way too many pirates around. Also if Luffy is spotted, he doesn't think he'll have the energy to escape.

From the same direction the crowd left in, he hears voices quickly advancing.

 _'Are they coming back?!'_ He wonders, startled. _'I've got to get out of here!'_ Luffy searches desperately for an escape route when his eyes land on two pirates who are transporting a wagon onto the ship. The cart has a brown tarp over it to hide the contents, but Luffy can see a golden sheen underneath.

Luffy hops on the spot to psych himself up, then runs as fast as he can when the pirates are distracted. Then he dives at the wagon and slides under the blanket.

The coins immediately clink as they shift under Luffy's weight. He slithers further into the pile to hide himself completely and flinches at the noise.

He lay there silently as the wagon jolts on its old wheels. As it rolls along with Luffy inside, he notices their pace slacken.

"Did this thing get heavier or something?" One of the pirates complains. The front of the wagon shifts upwards and they wheel on at a faster pace.

"I'll help ya." The other one responds. "Damn, those villagers are coming back again."

"They're such idiots, assuming we hid the guy they are after. Even made us stay out late for damn inspection! We're pirates! If we weren't all friendly with Whitebeard I would love to ravage this town."

The cart suddenly hitches and the terrain is smoother. Luffy hears the creaking of a wooden deck, indicating they are on board the ship.

"We've got to go; the villagers are coming back to interrogate us." The pirate says, setting the cart down.

"Yeah we shouldn't risk them getting on our bad side...more than they already are! Hahahaha!" The two leave the wagon and their voices gradually fade away.

Luffy lays uncomfortably in silence, which is rudely interrupted by a growling in his stomach.

 _'If only this was a food cart.'_ He pouts.

A few minutes later he can feel the rocking of the boat and hear waves crashing against the bow. The pirates have quieted down, but he can still make out their pissed mumblings as they pass by.

Luffy settles down on the coins, trying to get as comfortable as possible. He breathes in the metallic scent all around him and closes his eyes, succumbing to the exhaustion wracking his brain.

 _'How am I going to get out of this now?'_

 **Why was it do hard to finish this chapter? I killed myself finishing the last few paragraphs. This honestly should have been up days ago, I guess I just lost my rhythm for a bit.**

 **THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, FAVS AND FOLLOWS! STILL WAY MORE THAN I EVER EXPECTED TO GET!**

 **REVIEWS:**

 _ **GreenDrkness:**_ **No! Don't loose your hair! But guess what, you get more Marco! Woot! Thanks for the review and I will keep on writes.**

 _ **SEllen23:**_ **It's actually closer than you think…**

 _ **Lostdog200:**_ **Happy to provide!**

 _ **Guest (One that said the chapter would rhyme):**_ **Hope it met your standards! (I like rhymes too)**

 _ **Guest (One that though Luffy would get beat up):**_ **NOPE. Just kidding he got away this time, but maybe he won't be so lucky next chapter…**

 _ **Phonenix:**_ **Oops I did, and here's the chapter! (Only a few weeks later…um)**

 _ **RedHeadsRock1010:**_ **Thank you! I'm happy you like it!**

 _ **Muffin2234:**_ **Aww thank you! Hopefully you liked this chapter!**

 _ **Fandxms:**_ **Honestly when this review popped up on my email I laughed out loud. Too bad Marco is a lazy chicken who doesn't feel like going on a mission~ Thanks for the review hahaha!**

 _ **Guest (One that said GOSH DANG IT MARCO):**_ **Thank you so much for the compliment! I love singing Luffy too, I think it just adds to his cuteness level! Hope you liked this update.**

 _ **Shishishiswordsman:**_ **Thanks for the critique, it was really appreciated! Also thanks for dropping a review, it means a lot!**

 _ **StarliteOracle:**_ **you are right, and it is fast approaching…**

 _ **EnixFairy**_ **: Nice, 3 in the morning haha. Thanks for the review and enjoy this chap-i-tarrr!**

 _ **Kagome11:**_ **Tellarians, I like it! The medicine may or may not cause problems in the near future…**

 _ **Godviligs:**_ **Ace will be going satanic, that is the truth. Yeah Garp does seem shitty doesn't he? Thanks for the review yo and I hope you like this chapter!**

 _ **Tenebreyami:**_ **Hahaha I actually have that part planned out, glad you're looking forward to it! Thank you for the kind review!**

 _ **Alexzandria747:**_ **I try to make Luffy a little more brain smart, but also a little ditzy at times. Hope this chapter met your standards!**

 _ **Starelight:**_ **You're right haha! Thanks for the review!**

 _ **Trickster Madness:**_ **Honestly that's an awesome idea, but I already planned this from start to finish, sorry! Thanks for the review and I'm sorry again.**

 _ **TerraFria:**_ **About 6 or 7, I guess that is a few. Those pirates take forever on their missions.**

 _ **PipeDream:**_ **Yay I'm glad you're excited for this story! Thanks for the awesome review!**

 _ **MissSexyRain:**_ **It might be a little bit of both…hint hint**

 _ **Lunaxel:**_ **That's too bad you're disappointed, but where he is now is not in the location of any of the crew. I'm actually not a fan of OC's, whenever I add one in here I kind of cringe but it's for the plot so I tough it out. Sorry for the bad news but I hope you enjoy this story nonetheless!**

 _ **Everlight18:**_ **I don't think I'm going to be doing a sequel, I have other stories I want to write and the inspiration for a second one just isn't there. The medicine is indeed going to be a problemoo, and the sea stone isn't prolonging his healing, it's actually his medicine preventing that from happening (as stated in this chapter)! Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 _ **Guest (One that can't wait for next chapter):**_ **Thank you so much!**

 **Sorry if the replies are kind of short, I'm tired and there is a lot to reply to. Apologies mes amis.**

 _Next time: Stealing kabobs and the pineapple phoenix appears!_

 _~when I somehow get it done_


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

 _OMG OVER 100 REVIEWS (squeals to death)_

 _Sorry for the long wait, but sometimes it's just so hard to pump out these chapters. I want to post at least two a month, but who knows._

 _Longest chapter, over 13,000 words._

 _It's pretty angsty in here._

 **DISCLAIMER**

Luffy is back in the cells.

Beside him is Makino, chained up but still smiling through all the worry and pain she's no doubt experienced.

He looks ahead, there's the mayor and bandits. Dadan keeps grinding her teeth together, a habit she has picked up to keep the tobacco cravings at bay. Woop Slap fiddles with the cuffs on his wrists and glances worriedly at the very still form beside him.

Luffy looks down at himself. His clothes are very worn and have several holes and tears. The sea stone cuff is still there, sapping Luffy's energy away and making it harder than ever to do the work he is forced into.

Suddenly, a hand grasps his and he looks up at Makino.

But he can't see her face. Luffy is sure he can, but the harder he tries the blurrier it looks. Baffled, he turns back to the mayor and bandits.

Oddly enough they look the same as Makino. Actually, so does everyone else in the room. But now all their nonexistent gazes are trained on Luffy.

Makino says something, but it's garbled and unclear. Luffy searches her face desperately for anything he can understand. Instead, she grasps both of his hands and shakes them roughly.

Hold on, two hands?

And it's burning hot. The intense heat tears at Luffy's skin and he cries out in surprise. Magma pours out of the walls and pools on the ground.

It flows in continuous stream, coming closer and closer to his chained feet. He struggles against his binds, but they are too strong and he's too weak. _Too weak!_

Makino's hands are still grasping his in a death grip. He yells at her to let go, but realizes his voice won't form any coherent words. The magma comes closer to both of them and Luffy inches to the back of the cage, pulling Makino along.

But before they can move any further, Makino jerks him forward so that his face is right in front of hers.

"YOU TOOK TOO LONG!" She screeches. Until now, Luffy has never heard her use that tone in his life. "NOW WE'RE ALL DEAD! WE TRUSTED YOU BUT YOU LEFT US BEHIND!"

Luffy's heart cries in utter anguish and he tries to tell her. He tries to say he is trying, that every single moment away from them is a moment of agony. He tries to apologize and beg for forgiveness.

But nothing comes out. And now she is just screaming at him without a mouth, without a face, and he can't do anything but listen to this damn _nightmare._

More voices chime in and Luffy sees it's Dadan and the others. They're all saying the same hurtful things as Makino and, Luffy realizes dully, at the same time.

They're all sitting and the magma finally reaches the top of their hipbones. Luffy screams but the others don't seem to feel it. Makino's nails draw blood on Luffy's wrists, but compared to the incinerating heat on his torso, he doesn't even register it.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY MAKINO! EVERYONE!" He tries to drown out their words but his voice just sounds like a series of broken sobs. As their words get louder, the magma rises higher until it is up to their mouths. Luffy howls and cries from the mental overload.

Then it stops. He gasps in the fresh air and coughs hoarsely. After a few seconds, Luffy glances around him. He's under a flag, a Whitebeard flag to be precise, and it is on fire.

"Luffy."

Said teen snaps his head around because he can't be hearing _that_ person yet.

"Ace?" His voice is working now, but he doesn't care. All of his thoughts are on his brother, and how he is standing _right there._ Luffy stands up and takes a step forward with a relieved smile.

But then he stops. Ace's face doesn't look happy at all. His frown is deep and the hate in his eyes makes Luffy still.

"You destroyed the pride of my crew. What kind of stupid bastard does that? You even left the village behind! Why would I help them? Come on Luffy, tell me exactly why." Ace taunts. Luffy is shaking, but he doesn't know why he feels like this in front of his brother.

"Because we need you Ace! _I_ need you-"

"Ha! Please Luffy, like I would take _your_ word. Such a worthless crybaby who was always a waste of my time. I regret not killing you as a kid. I should have just..." Ace slides a finger across his neck.

"Why are you saying these things Ace?" Luffy's voice shakes along with his body. The words hurt him so much and he fears what Ace will say next.

"Why? Because these things are the truth. Leaving you was the best thing that ever happened to me, I'm finally feeling something other than _annoyance_ and _loathing_ everyday." Luffy winces and to his horror, Ace starts laughing.

"Look at you, actually thinking I liked you and would help you. IT'S PATHETIC! If only the nobles sold you off earlier so I didn't have to look you in the face again." Ace sneers, and he waltzes closer to Luffy.

"Stop! I know you don't feel this way!" Big silent tears tumble down Luffy's face. He's hurting so much, this is a million times worse than the lava.

"Shut up and don't talk to me ever again!" Ace reaches forward and grabs Luffy's bicep. To Luffy's horror, it starts to crumble away and Ace is just standing there, but his face is gone now. Luffy blinks once, and suddenly everyone from the cages is behind Ace. He blinks twice and their faces disappear. His whole arm crumbles away, and there's a sharp pain to his shoulder.

"HOW COULD YOU LUFFY?"

"YOU LEFT US TO DIE!"

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT."

Luffy grips his shoulder and curls into a ball on the ground. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to block out the screams of hatred.

"I'm so so so so sorry...please...please..." He begs weakly, burying his head into his knees. When the shouts fade away, Luffy remains curled up on the ground.

Then he hears a ticking sound. It's slow at first, but then the tempo builds. For some reason Luffy feels like he _has_ to look up. So when the ticking goes so fast it's a steady stream of noise, he shoots his head up.

Ace is there, and he grabs Luffy's face.

"LUFFY!"

Luffy's eyes fly open and he gasps for air.

"Did you guys hear anything?" Someone asks. He wipes away the tears on his face and forces his breathing to settle.

"No man, just the ocean." Someone else responds. The tears tumble down Luffy's face again and he wipes at them furiously this time.

 _'That's the worst one yet.'_ He thinks shakily. With one last shuddering breath, Luffy settles back down on his stomach. He feels hot, feverish even, and sweat gleams on his skin.

He has changed from his previous hiding spot to the wagon that he is currently inhabiting. Honestly, he thought it would be more comfortable than laying on coins, but it turns out it's not much better.

Luffy was lucky he didn't get caught; these pirates are highly attentive and he has hardly been able to move let alone change positions all night.

Even when the ship docked once, he couldn't escape because they were so high on alert. After being nearly caught twice, Luffy has been more quiet and still than he has probably ever been in his life.

As a result, he feels like complete and utter shit. He's so starving and his arm stub hurts a lot. Luffy fears one of his stomach growls will alert the pirate's of his presence.

But he'll get out soon. He hears the pirate's talking about how they are close to shore.

Willing himself to forget the nightmare, Luffy gathers his bearings and prepares to spring outside.

 **Line here**

It's a very nice night, the stars are shining and the air is warm. Everyone is out on the town, shopping and partying. Lanterns are strung up everywhere and the scent of cherry blossoms flows in the breeze.

Three men walk from a local weapons shop. One has a large pompadour hairstyle and speaks loudly, causing others to shy away from him. The lady-no, um, _man_ next to him wears a purple kimono and face makeup. He yells at the boisterous man to shut up and proceeds to smack said man on the head.

The third man looks relatively calm with his lazy eyes and lax expression. His hair looks similar to a blonde pineapple and his companions always seem to comment on it.

"Marcooooooooo?" The pompadour man moans to the pineapple head.

"What is it now Thatch?" Marco replies, clearly irritated.

"How much longer until we find this guy?"

"I don't know-yoi, that's why we are looking." He grits.

"If you spent less time complaining and more time searching for suspicious behaviour, this wouldn't be taking so long." The makeup wearing man says.

"But Izou! Shouldn't we just wait by the flag until he shows up instead of wandering around without an idea of what this guy looks like?"

Izou rolls his eyes. "If we did that then it would be obvious what we're planning. So until then, stop acting like a spoiled child." Izou karate chops Thatch on the head and he falls over onto the cobblestone street. Marco sighs and shakes his head at their bickering.

"Maybe we should check the docks. We haven't been around there much." He suggests.

It doesn't take long to get there, just a few minutes at a leisurely pace. As the threesome approach, they notice the many fishermen packing up for the night.

The pirates immediately set to patrol the dock. Thatch, for once, remains silent as they look for anything odd. Marco extends his observation haki in all directions and uses his phoenix senses to boost his range.

 _'I don't feel anything suspicious...'_ he observes. Everything in his radius seems clear with no unusual activity.

"Excuse me?"

All of them look curiously to their left. There is an old man bent down tying his boat to the dock with a thick rope. He has paused in his task but is still knelt down with his eyes focused on Marco, Thatch and Izou.

"Can we help you-yoi?" Marco asks, expression neutral as they walk up to him.

"You're all Whitebeard pirates right?" The elder asks, gesturing to the tattoo visible on Marco's chest.

"That's right, is there something you want?" Izou asks, putting his hands on his hips. The old man shakes his head.

"No, it's just I take it you're all here to catch the brat that's been taking down your flags?" He returns to tying his knot. Thatch nods.

"Yes, you wouldn't happen to know anything about him would you?"

"I'm afraid I know only as much as the papers tell us. But it's about time you pirate's got here, we don't want our only source of protection gone." With a final tug on his rope, the old man stands up.

Just then, Marco feels something odd with his observation haki.

"You guys sense that?" He asks his friends. They nod in return and focus their haki on an area further down the docks. Marco pushes his haki until he concentrates on a single vessel.

 _'He's on that pirate ship!'_

Suddenly a small figure in black springs out of a wagon on the ship. One of the pirates spots him and slashes down with his sword. Luckily, the figure dodges to the side and jumps onto the docks. Marco notices how he stumbles when he lands.

"C'mon-yoi!" Marco says to his friends. But just as he turns around, the cloaked figure sprints past all of them and heads into the city.

"I've got this." Marco says, and he chases the figure.

The cloaked man up ahead doesn't notice him at first, he's just concentrated on getting away from the scene.

But as soon as Marco gains ground, that's when the figure seems to know he's being chased. He ducks into a dark alleyway in hopes to lose his pursuer.

 _'Oh no you don't-yoi!'_ Marco zooms around the corner and is surprised to see the man jumping off of the close walls to gather momentum. _'Clever, but you can't get away from me.'_ Marco does the same and the chase resumes.

The cloaked man has already gotten a head start so Marco senses his path with observation haki. The commander speeds up when he confirms where the figure is, springing from wall to wall.

When he jumps around a corner the cloaked man finally comes into view. At first glance he's like a fox, swift and fast. But Marco sees how his ankles twist oddly when he lands with too much force and how he sometimes skids across the ground.

Before Marco can confront him, the figure looks back quickly then springs onto the rooftops. He wastes no time bounding from one roof to another at a faster pace.

 _'This guy's nimble.'_ he thinks, mildly impressed as he follows behind. Marco lands delicately on the rooftop just in time to see the figure disappear back down into the maze of alleys.

Not hesitating another second, Marco dashes on the rooftops and plunges down to where he last saw him. As expected, the figure is nowhere to be seen.

 _'At this rate, I'm going to be chasing him all night.'_ Marco realizes with a sigh. _'I think I'll wait until he tires himself out.'_ To get a better range, Marco goes on the rooftops once again. He closes his eyes in concentration and releases a wave of observation haki.

 _'There you are...'_ Marco springs back down and runs on the path towards his target. Once he is about three alleys away, he slows his pace to follow the offender, but not so close to be seen.

Marco follows him for about fifteen minutes then decides to catch up to the brat.

 _'He can't possibly still have enough energy to get away now.'_ Jumping onto the rooftop again, Marco follows along the alley to where the figure should be. But there's no one there.

 _'Crap!'_ He's not where Marco had anticipated. In fact, he's not _anywhere._

 _'Where did you go?'_ Marco wonders, eyes narrowing. He takes a deep breath and once again searches the area with his haki.

But Marco can't sense him anymore. Not even a hint of his presence remains.

 _'Damn! I got careless!'_ Marco lands on the ground and stretches his senses further.

 _'No good, he's out of my range.'_ He clicks his tongue in anger then walks back through the dark alley and into the city.

Marco blinks at the sudden lantern light that invades his eyes. He rubs them for a moment. Partially for relief, partially to delay going back to his potentially angry crew mates.

Then he walks down the street with his hands shoved in his pockets. As Marco passes by, he notices the curious looks directed at him and guesses they are wondering why he barrelled through town earlier.

When he returns to the port he is immediately glomped with questions from Thatch.

"Marco! Where is he? Why didn't you catch him? Did he threaten to cook you up and eat your chicken-OW!" He's cut off when a nail polished hand smacks him on the head.

"Let the man speak will you?" Izou chides. He turns his unimpressed gaze to the first division commander. "Well, let's hear your explanation." Marco sighs in exhaustion and rubs the back of his head.

"I was careless-yoi. I tried to tire him out but he got too far away without me knowing."

"Why didn't you just use your phoenix form? You could've swooped down and nabbed him in no time." Thatch asks, now sporting a large bruise.

"When we got here I had a word with the mayor. He told me specifically not to frighten the citizens with my powers at any time. If I did it now, at night, I'd be clearly visible-yoi."

"I guess that makes sense, he only wants the best for his town. But still, it's making it harder for us to catch this guy." Izou says, sticking his nose up.

"Sorry about all of this-yoi." Marco apologizes. Izou waves his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about it, we'll just stick with the original plan. He always strikes at night, so we'll just stay here until he does. But for now..." Izou walks up to Marco and buttons up his shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"If there's a good chance the offender hasn't seen this mark or recognized it from the different design, then he doesn't know who we are."

"But he has probably seen Marco's face while he was being chased. He'd know we are after him anyway." Thatch points out.

"Like I said," Izou says, doing up the last button, "if he doesn't know who we are, he'll think we're just a bunch of angry citizens wanting to catch him for ruining our town's flag. Nothing different than what he's used to. Even if he _did_ see Marco's face it wouldn't matter."

"He won't think of us as much of a threat compared to anyone else." Marco says, building on Izou's thinking. Izou nods.

"Exactly. Then when he lets his guard down, it will be the perfect time to strike."

"But what if he _does_ know who we are?" Thatch asks. Izou brushes the stray hairs away from his powdered face.

"Then he will come to us. After all, he has something he wants to say, no?"

 **Line here**

 _'Thirty minutes ago'_

Luffy hears the thump of the boat hitting wood and knows the pirate's have docked. They mill around him, totally oblivious to the fact that they have a stowaway hiding pretty much in plain sight.

He snickers and squirms forward on the wagon so that his nose almost touches the front. Cautiously, Luffy pulls on his hood and raises his head so that he can peek over the top. The green tarp raises slightly with his head but not so much to be noticeable.

 _'Where's a good escape route?'_ Luffy scans the area around him. It doesn't look too bad; he can probably sneak by.

"Hey!"

If only those pirates weren't so _damn_ alert!

Not giving the pirate enough time to strike, Luffy springs out of the wagon. Just as his feet touch the ground, another pirate swings his sword down. Luffy swerves to the side just in time and the sword imbeds itself in the wooden deck.

"Get him!" Someone shouts. Recovering from his previous move, Luffy leaps over the ship's railing and lands on the docks some feet below.

As soon as he lands a wave of dizziness hits him and everything seems hotter. Luffy totters dangerously to the side but catches himself. The once dull pain on his shoulder is now burning hot and throbbing intensely.

Another shout snaps Luffy out of his trance. He whips his head around to see the pirate's jumping over the railing after him. On the other side, citizens near the port have gathered to see what is happening.

 _'Damn!'_ Luffy pulls the hood down to cover more of his face and sprints toward the city. He runs past the gawking crowd before they register who he is.

Just before Luffy reaches the city, he registers passing someone with a pineapple head but zooms by without a backward glance.

His breathing is laboured, more so than he likes. But Luffy forces himself to run faster so he won't get caught. The citizens still haven't realized who he is, and he wants to get away before they do.

Eventually when he is further into the city, Luffy hears footsteps trailing him at a running pace.

 _'Crap! Those pirates caught up!'_ Without a backwards glance, Luffy ducks into the nearest alley and pushes his body further.

 _'These walls are pretty narrow...'_ Luffy grins as an idea comes to mind. He kicks off of the wall to his left and then does the same to the right, so he ends up bounding from wall to wall high up in the air.

 _'Shishishi it's just like the trees in Mount Corvo!'_ Luffy snickers internally. This method brings up his speed and makes it harder for his pursuer to catch him.

Luffy jumps through the alleyways, but suddenly notices how darker they are becoming the further he goes. He wonders about that for a second, but soon forgets about it.

Straining his ears, Luffy can hear quiet pitter patter of the person chasing him. He scowls to the sky through his harsh panting.

 _'I've got to get away before I can't see anything at all.'_ Luffy pushes off the walls with all of his might and forces himself to go faster.

However, as he turns a corner he realizes how much he can't see. Luffy's foot catches the edge and he immediately loses his momentum. His foot twists against the wall, making him fall and slide across the dirty ground.

 _'Ugh...'_ On a shaky arm he brings himself upright. It's then that the full extent of his exhaustion hits. Sweat pours off his brows and runs into his eyes. Luffy feels something wet on his shoulder but can make a good guess of what it is. He realizes that the darkness is from his own vision, not the alley.

 _'But I've got to keep going.'_ He forces himself back up the walls and continues at a pace albeit slower than before.

The chase seems to go on forever in Luffy's opinion. Every time he thinks he is home free those steps return, louder each time.

So when Luffy stumbles over his feet yet again, he risks a quick glance over his shoulder. To his surprise and disappointment, he can see the figure just a few meters away.

 _'Damn it!'_ Luffy looks up and then springs onto the rooftop. _'I shouldn't be in the open like this for too long.'_ So Luffy dashes over a few rooftops then goes down into an alley again.

This time when Luffy lands, there is a ringing in his ears that makes his eyes go wide. On shaky legs, he rises and escapes.

Not trusting himself to jump properly on the walls, Luffy decides to run on foot blindly into the increasing darkness.

 _'Don't pass out, don't pass out!'_ He screams at himself. _'I've got to go faster!'_ Somehow his legs speed up and he centres his mind on 'running' and 'nothing else.'

The corners don't feel like they appear anymore. To Luffy it's like he's running in a straight line with the thumping of his heart loud in his ears. Everything blurs at the edges of his vision and eventually he can't make out details because it's so dark.

 _"You left us here to die!"_

Luffy grimaces and presses a palm to his ear.

 _"I should have killed you when I had the chance!"_

He shakes his head and shuts his eyes tightly.

 _'Its just my mind playing tricks on me.'_ Luffy tells himself. _'The voices aren't real, it's all in my head.'_ Yet the harsh comments keep coming.

 _"It's your fault we're stuck as slaves!"_

 _"Ace isn't the devil child, you are!"_ Luffy runs faster, trying to escape the jeers around him.

 _"Whitebeard will kill you before you even have a chance to say a word!"_

 _"Who would want a whiny, snivelling, weak brother like you?"_ He speeds up even more. Luffy isn't looking where he's going anymore.

 _"Sabo would agree with me. He only tolerated you so he wouldn't have to hear you complain."_ Just go faster!

 _"We hate you and wish you didn't exist."_ FASTER!

 _"You should just_ die. _"_

Luffy's feet are suddenly off the ground. He doesn't have enough time to bring up his arm when he skids across the earth, kicking up a mountain of dust.

He tumbles across the alley, gaining several cuts and bruises on stray rocks. Eventually, Luffy's body slows and he is left lying on his side.

Dust clouds rise from around his still figure. The voices have stopped, and Luffy lays in complete silence. His eyes are closed, and he focuses on filling his lungs with much needed air.

After awhile, his head clears enough so he can think straight. Luffy strains his ears to listen for the pirate after him, but he hears nothing.

 _'Was there even someone after me? I don't know anymore...'_ Luffy sighs and rests on the ground, just trying to recuperate.

The cool ground feels magnificent on his overheating body. He presses his cheek further against the cool dirt, trying to push away the sickness threatening to dominate him.

 _'I need the stuff from my bag.'_ Luffy thinks blearily. With a considerable amount of effort, he sits up and drags himself next to a large green dumpster.

He groans as his back rests against the grimy brick wall. The dizziness returns from the sudden motion and Luffy feels close to heaving.

When the sickness passes, he reaches into his bag for the remaining bottle of medicine.

Popping off the cap, he immediately grimaces at the smell. It's almost bad enough to bring his nausea back. Luffy shakes his head and tries not to gag as he swallows the substance whole. Hopefully the small amount of medicine does _something_ for him.

The wetness of his shoulder is next on the examination list. He pulls the bandage off and sucks in a sharp breath. The skin is really sore and it swells around the stitches.

The liquid that Luffy once thought was blood is actually something yellow, and it oozes from his wound. He promptly wipes it off with the inside of his cloak then rips a piece off with his teeth. The straw hat teen wraps it around his shoulder and secures it tightly.

Feeling drowsy, Luffy leans back onto the brick wall and closes his eyes. His stomach grumbles loudly but for once, Luffy ignores it. All of his money has been lost and he has no energy whatsoever to do a dine and dash.

With a groan Luffy realizes he needs to hit the flag. The sooner he does it, the sooner the Whitebeard pirates will come.

 _'But I'm just_ so _tired...'_ His breathing slows and Luffy realizes, with a start, that he can't move anymore. His body is already shutting down from exhaustion, willing him to get some rest.

With a quick mental sorry to his friends in Foosha, Luffy falls into a deep sleep under the cover of darkness.

 **Line here**

Mid-afternoon sunlight peeks out from the top of the buildings, bringing light to the alley Luffy is currently residing. The sun glares on his eye lids, urging them open, but he moves his head away.

Luffy's mind bleakly registers something on his cloak and chest. Half asleep, he brushes the unknown thing away with a wave.

He sighs in content when the feeling goes away and then relaxes against the wall again.

Then it returns, more aggressive and Luffy frowns. He swats his hand but this time it doesn't go away. Groaning, he swings harder and this time it retaliates by pushing his hand away.

' _What the?!'_ Luffy is done with whatever is disturbing his sleep and opens his eyes. To his shock, the thing on his shirt is _hands._ They are digging through his pockets trying to find something of value.

Immediately, Luffy jumps up with a yell (he refuses to say he squeals, pirates don't squeal!) and kicks the raggedy pick pocketer into a building.

Luffy immediately runs from the scene. Suddenly feeling compressed, he makes for the first opening into the city. It isn't very far, just a few corners away until he can see the main street.

He bursts into the open and breathes in the fresh oxygen that is no longer tainted with must and steel. A few passerby's glance at him curiously, gossiping to their friends.

After sucking in as much air as he can get, Luffy calms and thinks of yesterday's events.

 _'I was so out of it, now I can't tell when everything stopped being real.'_ He realizes. _'Was someone chasing me? Or was I just going crazy?'_ Another question pops into Luffy's mind. _'And why was I like that? Did I get a fever?'_ Luffy feels his head experimentally.

 _'I definitely don't have one now, maybe it's because of the nasty stuff I took last night.'_

Someone bumps his bad shoulder and mumbles an apology as they walk away. Luffy just bites his lip to stifle a cry of pain. Damn Akainu!

Just then, Luffy's stomach growls loudly. He looks around the area for a quick grab when his eyes land on a shish-kabob stand across the street. It is bustling with customers and the man at the station is busy handing out the delicious snacks.

Luffy sneakily makes his way over to the side (and empty part) of the stand. He glances upwards at the vendor, but he seems occupied with the overflow of customers.

Quickly, Luffy snatches the meat off the barbecue when he isn't looking. Grinning to himself, the teen walks away unnoticeably from the crowd. He grins even wider; he hasn't had kabobs in forever!

Just before he can sink his teeth into the savoury meat, Luffy feels a pair of eyes upon him. He looks up and his gaze meets one of a man with pineapple shaped hair across the street.

Luffy blinks in surprise. The man is quite some ways away, yet he has still managed to spot Luffy's theft from that far. However, the aura around this guy seems kind of familiar, but overall very powerful.

Meeting his gaze defiantly, Luffy stuffs the meat in his mouth all at once. He chews deliberately slow, unspoken challenge in his eyes.

The man just stares back blankly, not moving an inch. Luffy begins to think he is a statue until two men step beside him.

The newcomers don't notice him yet, but judging by the way they interact with each other Luffy guesses they are comrades. In a matter of seconds, they follow pineapple guy's line of sight and start watching Luffy too.

Not up to staring down three seemingly powerful people, Luffy ducks back into the crowd. He navigates through the hustle, avoiding stray limbs until he reaches freedom.

Their stares unnerve Luffy. He ponders this as he walks onto a path leading to the forest.

 _'Are they marines?'_ The thought has Luffy stopping in place. Did they find out he wasn't dead and sent people after him? Marines can't be on these pirate protected islands, but maybe that isn't enough to keep them away.

Luffy shakes his head, why hasn't he given more thought to this earlier? Sure, those people have a weird appearance, but that can be all part of a disguise. Maybe the person chasing him yesterday _wasn't_ an illusion and was one of those men.

 _'Maybe I'm just paranoid.'_ Luffy says mentally, but the deep look in the pineapple guy's eyes makes a stronger argument.

He starts walking again. Luffy doesn't know who these people are, but if they _are_ marines he is staying as far away from them as possible.

Soon enough, the straw-hatter reaches his destination.

The forest is what Luffy considers 'cute' in comparison to his own. The trees are smaller, and the biggest predator here is the size of a small dog.

After a bit of walking, he comes across a good size water basin. Bushes surround it, offering cover from any onlookers. As a matter of fact, Luffy almost falls into it but he manages to grab an overhanging branch before it happens.

It creaks eerily under his weight and bends, but Luffy swings his feet backwards. His tip-toes catch the ledge and he leans backwards onto the safety of land where he can let go of the branch. Luffy whistles.

 _'That was close.'_ Wiping the sweat off his brow, he realizes it's been awhile since he last bathed.

Being extra careful not to drown, he strips and sits on the edge of the basin. Luffy's straw hat rests preciously tucked under the bushes so it won't be blown away.

A good scrub down later, Luffy removes the makeshift bandage on his arm. There's no more puss, which is good, but it's still sore and sensitive. He gently cleans the wound then reapplies the bandage.

With cleaning done Luffy risks lowering himself into the water. Just in case, he ties a vine from his waist to a tree so he can pull himself out if needed.

The teen sinks into the warm water with a sigh. The sky above is as blue as can be with birds chirping overhead. A few squirrels scuttle on a tree nearby, stopping on a branch to nibble on nuts.

Despite the relaxing atmosphere, Luffy can't help but let his mind wander.

 _'When are the Whitebeard pirates going to show up?'_ He wonders idly.

 _'Will I have to take down all of their damn flags before they notice?!'_

 **Line here**

Being on an island that's protected by a pirate is odd. Especially if _your_ the pirate that has to do the protecting.

It's like a role reversal. The pirates uphold order, prevent any trouble, while the marines are the ones they keep away. A weird phenomenon.

So when Marco sees the kid swipe a shish-kabob without paying, he plays marine and moves to stop him. However, a glance at the boy's wrist holds him back.

On it and clamped tightly is a dark blue shackle with a small broken chain link attached to the side.

 _'Most likely sea stone,'_ Marco thinks, recognizing the material and colour. _'I wonder if it's on the other wrist too.'_ But the other arm is hiding in the kid's poncho.

He moves his eyes to the straw hat peeking from the kid's hood on his back. It looks vaguely familiar, but Marco can't put his finger on it.

Then the boy looks directly at him. Marco has to contain a chuckle at the look of surprise he receives. The kid's childish eyes are blown wide and his mouth forms a silent "oh".

It's like a switch, the surprised look is quickly masked into a rebellious one as the boy eats the meat. He chews slowly, daring Marco with his eyes to try stopping him. Marco barely muffles a snort.

He gets a better look at him now. The boy seems pale and a little too skinny for Marco's liking. A thought that he's a slave crosses his mind just as Thatch and Izou approach, fighting as usual.

"Hey! Earth to Marco!" Thatch shouts, abandoning his previous argument. "What are you looking at?"

Marco just points his chin forward. They both turn their heads to the kid who suddenly looks very uncomfortable.

"Who? Him?" Izou asks, eyes curious. But before his question is answered, the boy slips into the crowd and disappears like a shadow.

"Who was that?" Thatch asks, turning his gaze to Marco. The phoenix's eyes linger on the spot the kid was just a second ago, then back to his companions.

"Based on the rough shape that kid was in, I think he may be an escaped slave-yoi." Izou hums in understanding.

"That's a big possibility. The cuff on his wrist was made of sea stone, wasn't it? So that means he's a devil fruit user right?" Marco nods.

"A slave in the West Blue? Do they even have that kind of market here?" Thatch asks in disbelief.

"It's pretty uncommon, but not impossible. Someone might have brought him over from the Grand Line." Marco says, a far away look in his eyes.

"Or he came himself." Izou says. "I don't like seeing kids being forced into slavery, it doesn't sit right at all."

"If we see that boy again, I want to talk to him and give him a decent meal. Maybe even bring him on the ship." Thatch says, eyes lost in the crowd. Izou smirks.

"Thatch, that is probably the best idea you've had in a long time."

 **Line here**

It's a few hours later, and after taking a much needed nap, Luffy feels a little refreshed. He has started feeling dizzy again, not to mention drowsy. Although blaming the dizzy spell on his dip in the water, he can't excuse the way his head suddenly flushes with heat.

 _'I need more medicine. But first I'll need to make some money.'_ Luffy grumbles a little. He wishes he knew stuff about medicine so he could just swipe it off the shelves without a doubt.

 _'Here I thought I liked doing this.'_ And he does like singing, just not today when he feels like crap.

So here Luffy is, going into town on a warm summer night in search of a restaurant to sing at. Eventually he finds one with a big stage at the front. When Luffy enters there is already someone up front strumming a guitar.

He hums along with the tune (even though he doesn't know the song) and approaches the hostess.

She's a nice lady, although Luffy thinks she might be taking pity on him when she lets him sing.

"You can go after the person up now. In the meantime, have a seat at the bar." She says cheerily, gesturing to the wooden structure next the stage. Luffy grins back.

"Thank you!" Suddenly he's glad he bathed, Luffy doesn't know if they'd let him sing otherwise.

He sits at the bar, swinging his legs back and forth. Beside him is a large man hunched over his drink. He wears a large green poncho that is frayed around the edges.

Luffy, being the friendly guy he is, wants to say hi.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

His head snaps to the bartender in front of him. The man is drying a bourbon glass, and his eyes are focused on the hunched figure beside Luffy.

"Do what? Say hi?"Luffy asks, head tilting to the side. The bartender nods and turns his gaze to Luffy.

"He's been like this for awhile, sulking on his lonesome. I've tried taking to him but he just doesn't want anyone near." Luffy pouts.

"Then that's all the more reason to talk to him! Oi! Poncho-ossan!" He pokes the hunched man. The bartender shakes his head.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Then he walks away to serve another customer. Luffy continues to poke his victim.

"Oi! Why are you sad?" He stops poking him. Luffy realizes he can hear the guy mumbling to himself. It's so quiet he can only make out a few key words.

"... couldn't...he...get me...need another...other...escaped...but where?" Luffy's face looks as confused as ever.

"Where what?" He asks rather loudly.

The poncho man sits up abruptly, almost making Luffy fall out of his seat in shock. He whips his head to Luffy and stares at him with wide eyes. The teen just stares back, unsettled.

"Um, ossan?" He asks uncertainly. But suddenly the poncho man has a big grin on his face, not the good kind mind you. Instead of talking to Luffy, he sinks back into his original position but this time with an air of happiness and relief.

Luffy just looks away from the man, puzzled. The bartender comes back and ushers Luffy to a seat further down the bar.

"Congrats! You got him to move!" The bartender cheers. Luffy chuckles.

"Yeah I guess so."

"Here, you're singing right? You can eat right now if you want." He pushes a steaming steak in front of Luffy. The teen's mouth waters immediately.

"You're sure? What if I'm no good?" The bartender waves a dismissive hand.

"Just by looking I can tell your something special. Don't worry about it, eat up!" Luffy grins in signature D fashion.

"Thank you!" He tackles his meal full on, leaving no trace after only a few seconds.

"Woah! Slow down!" The bartender says in mock horror. Luffy licks the plate clean then slides it back to the man.

"Slow down? But I'm hungry, and if I'm hungry I should eat." Having experienced Luffy-logic for the first time, the bartender looks baffled. Soon enough, he breaks into laughter.

"I was not wrong, you're special alright!"

At the corner of Luffy's eye, he sees poncho man shuffle. A large grin is hidden in his sleeves.

"Special indeed." He says, words muffled by his arm. Luffy watches him for a few seconds, then turns back to the bartender.

"You know what, I'll give you a little extra food in your pouch if you sing well." he says, offering a hand. "Deal?" Luffy smacks his hand just as clapping fills the room. "Deal." The bartender nods to the now empty stage.

"Your turn." Luffy grins and walks confidently on stage. He steps to the center and removes the straw hat from his back. He places it on the ground in front of him and looks at all the people staring at him expectantly.

For some reason, he feels several pairs of eyes burning into his body. He looks around the room but can't see anyone who stands out.

With a mental shrug, he starts to sing.

Luffy chooses a song Makino used to sing whenever she did the dishes. He and Ace would sit at the bar after a long day of training and just listen to her sing. It was very soothing and they would both fall asleep right after the song ended.

The memory hits him like a bullet and threatens to choke his words. Thankfully, he refrains from ruining the performance.

Makino's voice was the best, it was like angels.

 _'No Luffy!'_ He yells mentally. _'Not_ was _. She's still alive! Stop saying things like they will never happen again! You're doing this to save her, to save everyone!'_ He finishes strong, gaining massive applause from the audience. Luffy does a little bow with flourish, then bends to collect his hat that is filled with money.

It's then that Luffy notices poncho guy staring at him maliciously, clapping slowly. Then he gets up from his seat and leaves the restaurant.

Luffy straightens with a troubled expression. All of a sudden that guy just doesn't sit right with him.

Off to the side, the bartender waves him over. Immediately brightening up, Luffy jumps off the stage and hops to the bar.

"Beyond what I expected kid, here's what you earned." The bartender digs under the bar and pulls out a pouch. "It's got bread and cheese in there, enough to last you a bit. By the looks of you, I don't think you'll be sticking around this town long." Luffy shakes his head, attaching the pouch to his shorts. He dumps the money in his other pocket.

"No, I've got something important I need to do." He says, slipping the straw hat on his neck.

"Well I wish you good luck on your journey." Luffy grins widely.

"Thanks! See ya later!" He waves, practically radiating happiness. The people here are so nice!

Luffy practically skips out of the restaurant. Suddenly, he gets the same sensation that he felt in the market. He turns his head slowly and his eyes widen when he recognizes the three men sitting there.

 _'The marines!'_ Luffy internally freaks. The men seem to notice his gaze on them, and that's when Luffy decides it's time to go.

He runs out the door, just as they call out to him.

 _'I won't be caught by marines before I see Ace!'_ Luffy makes a break down the street, revving around corners to get out of sight.

A sudden blast of nausea has Luffy tripping. He catches his feet and clutches his mouth with his hand. The street is grey and empty, a thick coat of fog hovers above the ground.

 _'I ate too much...'_ But the meal was _so_ good and he was _so_ hungry. _'I should have known I was going to regret it later.'_ Luffy sucks in a mountain load of oxygen and tries to block out the nausea.

 _'Better...nope!'_ He leans up against a building and breaks into a coughing fit. It lasts for a long time, which surprises Luffy. When it ends, he takes the time to catch his breath then removes his hand from his mouth.

 _'Gross.'_ There's some dark stuff on his hand and he wipes it on the ground.

A sharp prick invades the back of Luffy's neck. Eyes widening, he scrabbles for it, but his arm feels sluggish. Eventually all the strength fleets him and he falls face first on the ground.

 _'Marines!'_ Is the first thought that crosses Luffy's mind. Instantly panicking, he urges his muscles to move but they won't budge an inch.

 _'No! No! No!'_ Pure dread fills Luffy's body. His eyes, the only things that function, flick around desperately.

Boots appear in Luffy's vision and he looks up. To his surprise, it's the poncho guy from the bar.

"Hello my treasure." He says, crouching down to Luffy's height. His voice is scratchy and high. "I thought it would've taken more effort to catch you, but you've made this easy for me."

Arms surround Luffy's torso and he is lifted from the ground. He's thrown unceremoniously over poncho guy's shoulder, leaving his arm and feet dangling helplessly in the air. Unaware to Luffy, his straw hat slips off his neck and flutters to the ground.

"I suppose I should introduce myself." Poncho guy says, walking away with Luffy in tow. "My name is Ralph, the slave trader." Luffy's heart thuds in his chest.

"And you're about to make me very rich."

 **Line here**

"He went this way-yoi."

Marco, Thatch and Izou have followed the slave kid from the restaurant. The streets are even more congested with fog, making it harder for the pirates to navigate.

"This fog is so thick. No wonder there's nobody out here." Izou says, trying to peer through the murk.

"Did you guys hear him sing back there? It was so sad and beautiful at the same time!" Thatch swoons, wiping a stray tear from his eye.

"Yeah, who knows what else that kid is capable of." Izou comments.

"We can't let him slip away again-yoi." Marco says, squinting. "This fog is too thick; I can't sense anything." Thatch releases a strangled cry just as hissing splits the air.

"Can't sense anything, I can't 'see' anything. I feel bad for all the cats I step on tonight." Thatch's complaint dies in the night as they creep forwards.

"We're sitting ducks out here. Let's just go back to the restaurant until the fog clears up-" a crunching sound interrupts Izou's talking.

"What kind of cat was that?" Thatch asks incredulously.

"I stepped on something." Marco says, bending down. He feels around his feet until his fingers come upon something straw.

"What is it Marco?" Izou asks. The first division commander holds the object up so all three of them can look.

"That's the kid's hat!" Thatch exclaims.

"He must've come this way." Izou points out.

Marco examines the hat in his hands. It's definitely well worn, for starters. The edges are a bit frayed and there are tatters around the top. He flips it with his finger tips. Inside the hat the straw is compressed, indicating it has been worn a lot.

 _'It still looks familiar! Where have I seen this?'_ Marco racks his brain but comes up with nothing, to his frustration. A nudge to his shoulder makes him lift his head.

"What is it-yoi?" He asks absently.

Izou rolls his eyes. "Stop zoning out. If you were paying attention you would have noticed the fog lifting."

Marco looks around, and while visibility is still low, they can at least see along the street. He experimentally taps at his observation haki. "It's blurry, but I can pick up a trace of his presence nearby."

Izou closes his eyes and tries to sense it himself. "I can't pick anything up. It must be your phoenix senses that can trace him."

Marco concentrates on the slave boy. His presence seems...dimmed. Another presence, much stronger than the boy's, is overwhelming it. They don't separate at all, but move in unison.

Funny, to his knowledge the kid doesn't have a companion.

"I think there's something up-yoi. The kid might be in danger." Izou and Thatch stiffen.

"If he really is a slave, I guess that would make him a target for some people." Izou says angrily, hands reaching for his pistols.

A serious look crosses Thatch's face and he turns to Marco.

"Lead the way."

 **Line here**

"Can you believe it?! I found another one!" Ralph paces back and forth on the dusty ground. In one hand is a green snail phone and in the other is the speaker which is now pressed against his ear.

Someone says something on the other line and Ralph laughs boisterously, spit flying from his chapped lips. "I know; the boss won't even notice!"

Just a few paces away is Luffy, tied to a thick tree trunk. Right now they are in a secluded part of the city surrounded by low-hanging trees. Nearby is a shabby little shack, most likely used as some sort of base for Ralph.

The slave trader had carried Luffy all the way to this location while the straw hat teen was still drugged. After tying him to the tree, he had pulled the snail phone from his poncho and called someone unknown to Luffy.

"Yeah, yeah, what are the chances? In the West Blue even!" Luffy listens to him babble on. Upon observation he quickly determines that this man is not as terrifying as he seems. If anything, he is extremely annoying.

Overconfidence seems to ooze from Ralph in his every action and word. He believes that he has got Luffy _good,_ and that there's no escape for the straw-hatted teen. The thought alone has Luffy pouting, he hates being underestimated! He only got caught by a cheap trick!

But the drug is wearing off, quickly too. Eventually Luffy gains feeling back in his limbs. He flexes his fingers and toes experimentally yet discretely, not letting Ralph know he lost his advantage.

Not too far from Luffy's foot is a sharp thin rock. He shoots a quick glance to Ralph, who is preoccupied with talking on the snail phone.

Stretching beyond his limits, Luffy's toes almost touch the shard.

 _'Cmon!'_ Sweat forms on his skin from the effort and he _pulls the stone closer just a liiiittle bit-_

"Hoohoohoo kid, I must thank you for showing up when you did." Luffy hurriedly pulls back into his original position and glares at Ralph.

"What do you want from me?" He demands, feigning helplessness.

"Well, I was in a particularly rough spot. I captured a devil fruit user in the North Blue and then told my boss I was bringing him back to the Grand Line. We were going to sell it to those Celestial Dragon fellas." Luffy darkens at those words.

"Unfortunately," Ralph continues, face turning sad. "there was an incident, and my fruit user was lost. I thought I was done for; the boss would surely kill me if I couldn't bring him what I'd promised. The first time you saw me, I was drowning my sorrows in liquor." He suddenly perks up and grabs Luffy's face in his hand, squeezing his cheeks together. Luffy growls, but can't do anything to fight back.

"But that is when you, my beautiful saviour, appeared!" Ralph says lovingly, shaking Luffy's head from side to side. "At first I thought you were some brat, but then I recognized the sea stone shackle on your wrist. Others who have not seen one before probably think it's some sort of bracelet, but alas, it's _not._ " He releases Luffy's face and Luffy scowls.

"If that's all, then take it. I don't want it." He says. If possible, Ralph's malicious smirk stretches even further.

"No, no, no. What I want is not the shackle, but you! Of course since you are wearing the sea stone it indeed means you are, in fact, a devil fruit user. Am I right?" Ralph places a finger on his chin and a sly look crosses his face.

Luffy says nothing.

Ralph cackles then pulls out his snail phone again. "Time to call the boss and tell him I'm coming after all."

Luffy just glares holes into Ralph's skull. He has no intention of going back to where he escaped from, so the teen impatiently waits until Ralph is distracted.

"Yes boss, I will be near the Grand Line shortly...the cargo is still with me too." Ralph speaks into the phone. His tone is eager, excited even.

Luffy again attempts to drag the rock closer. This time his toe hooks around the top and he can move it slowly.

"I'm sorry I took so long...no, I wasn't trying to run away! I was just...caught in a storm! Yes! A storm!"

The rock is flicked next to his fingers. Luffy grasps it and works on sawing the tight rope binding him.

"I understand...you don't want any excuses..."

The bottom of the rope thins; the cut slowly expands as he saws.

"You want him where?"

The rope stretches, the stress almost too much for it to stay together. Luffy cuts faster.

"With the other devil fruit slaves then? Alright boss."

Luffy stops cutting. The stone drops from his fingers and lands with a soft 'thud' on the ground. Eyes wide, he turns slowly to look at Ralph. Honestly, he doesn't feel annoyed with the situation anymore.

He feels pissed. Others? How many more people are out there like him, who have their lives destroyed and torn apart by Celestial Dragons?

Those users the slave traders have, those _people_ the slave traders have, they probably don't have any family left that can help them. At least Luffy has Ace that he can depend on, those people may very well have no one.

Luffy grits his teeth and balls his hand into a fist, rage slowly building.

He really wants to punch this guy in the face.

"What's up kid? Feeling angry? Too bad, it won't help you much where you're going. Hoohoohoo!" Ralph laughs, skipping in place. "I'm going to be rich~! I'm going to be rich~!" The burning anger in Luffy settles into something colder, scarier. Ralph sings on, oblivious to the change in the atmosphere.

"I'm going to be rich~! I'm going to be rich~! And it's all going to be because of-!"

A loud cracking sound interrupts Ralph's singing. He screeches and runs out of the way just in time when a gigantic tree falls in the clearing. Dust kicks up and fills the air, blocking all visibility.

"Cough* cough*, what the hell was that?" Ralph says angrily, hand covering his mouth. Luffy buries his mouth in his shoulder and closes his eyes to shield himself from the onslaught of dust.

"So this bastard is the one who took him." Says a voice coming from the direction of the fallen tree.

The dust settles and Luffy looks up to see three men. Three _familiar_ men, he realizes with a scowl.

"Was it really necessary to knock down the tree Thatch?" Says the pineapple head to the pompadour man.

"Of course Marco! We've got to make a grand entrance to surprise this fool." Thatch gestures to Ralph, whose mouth is open in astonishment. The man wearing a geisha sighs and twirls his gun.

"Well it worked, but it wasn't necessary." He says in mild annoyance.

"C'mon Izou, I know you wanted to scare this guy as much as I did." Thatch says teasingly. Izou shrugs, but smirks lightly.

"H-hey!"

They all turn to Ralph, who has gotten over his shock and stands on shaky legs.

"What are you doing here?!" He demands. Izou points to Luffy, still tied to the tree.

"We're here to save the kid."

Luffy can barely contain a snort of contempt. _'Looks like they couldn't keep their marine natures undercover.'_ But a small part of him is fearful, are they going to save him just to bring him back to Foosha?

Something cold presses against Luffy's jugular. With a quick glance down, he realizes it's a long sword. Ralph is the one holding the weapon and he clutches it like his life depends on it.

And judging by the faces of the trio, it does.

"Lower your weapon, or Izou here will shoot you right between the eyes." Marco threatens. Luffy could have sworn he saw neon blue flash in his irises.

"N-no way! Take one step closer and I'll slice his head off!" The sword presses further into Luffy's neck, drawing a bead of blood.

"You wouldn't do that; you need to deliver him to your _boss_." Izou sneers, clicking the safety off his pistol.

"What?! You've been spying on me! How long have you been here?!" Ralph asks in disbelief.

"Long enough to know you're a complete asshole." Thatch unsheathes his sword and Ralph flinches as it makes a sharp 'shing' sound.

"I said don't come any closer!" Ralph is really shaking now.

Even if the sword is cutting him, Luffy's face holds an unimpressed look. _'What a coward.'_

"I'll really kill him!" Ralph yells. "I don't even need him! I've got plenty more slaves that are worth a lot more than him!"

Ice cold fury washes over Luffy. He keeps it hidden carefully under an expressionless mask. Unknown to everyone else, he pulls against his restraints, slowly weakening the rope until they are close to snapping.

Marco's gaze flicks over to the boy who has yet to utter a word. Not even his eyes speak, they are shadowed and cast towards the ground.

When Ralph makes another movement Marco focuses back on him, but not without noticing the movement of ropes against the boy.

"Don't bother faking it." Marco says, voice smooth and eyes like ice. "We heard your explanation. Your boss is going to kill you if you don't hand him over."

Ralph just glares at them, teeth gritted and head held high despite his situation. A weak man hiding behind a strong facade, pathetic really.

"So that means you can't kill him. You have no leverage."

The clearing turns silent. Marco, Thatch and Izou all stare hatefully at Ralph with their weapons unsheathed. Ralph has gone quiet, his gaze trained to the ground. Luffy's face is hidden completely from view.

The trio's eyes widen in surprise when a snort escapes the slave trader's mouth. Then it turns to full blown hysterical laughter and he is clutching his stomach trying to calm himself.

"I-I never," another burst of chuckles escapes Ralph's lips. "I never thought I would be killed by a bunch of no name thugs. I thought my death would be something a little more dramatic."

"You don't have to die today. You can give us the boy and live." Says Izou. Ralph shakes his head.

"I'm a dead man either way. If I let him go, the boss will kill me. If I stay here, you'll kill me." He lowers his sword off of Luffy's throat and the commanders relax a little.

"But if I'm going out, might as well bring one down with me."

The trio's eyes widen as he plants a foot on the ground and swings his sword at full strength. Wind splits as it delivers right in the direction of Luffy's neck.

Before the pirate's can even understand what is happening, Ralph is hurtling across the clearing. He smacks into the fallen tree with a sickening crack and falls to the ground, unconscious. His face is a bloody mess and there is a clear fist imprint in the centre.

All three look away from Ralph's battered body to the kid who is standing, now free from the ropes. Luffy's fist is raised at his chest, blood drips off of his knuckles and drips down his arm.

No one says anything as he makes his way over to Ralph. When he stands over him, he spits directly on the man's face.

"You shouldn't have underestimated me."

Izou and Thatch gape like fish while Marco shows only mild surprise. That was definitely not what they were expecting. Luffy turns in the direction of the commanders and walks straight for them without making eye contact.

They think he is going to jump in their arms, begging for help. But instead, he walks straight past them as if they aren't there. Luffy only pauses to snatch the straw hat from Marco's hand. Marco swears he hears a light growl.

Luffy heads for the forest, eager to escape all of it. This day is just too messed up and he's just so damn tired of being mad.

"Wait!"

He stiffens as one of them calls to him. This is it, these stupid marines are going to capture him. Why is it all so unfair?!

"Are you a slave?"

Not expecting that question, Luffy turns back to the men. He makes sure to keep a safe distance away.

"So what if I am? Wouldn't you like to care?" He sneers, temper flaring. The stress of the night builds up and he can't help but feel angrier. The men look slightly baffled at his outburst.

"Look-yoi," Marco says, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "We just want to help you."

Garp's false promises and marines beating his friends flash through Luffy's mind. His eyes blaze in fury and he can barely stop himself from lashing out at them.

"Help? What a joke! Like _you_ can help me!" They're just going to do the same as Ralph would have done to him. But these idiot marines think it's justice, which just makes them all the worse.

"You just got kidnapped, what's to stop it from happening again? That guy was weak, but there are way stronger guys out there who can take you easily." Izou reasons.

"You're a walking skeleton kid. We can give you food, then you can come on our ship." Says Thatch.

Luffy shakes his head and takes a step back. Why does everybody want slaves?! Why can't they just let him be free?!

"No! I'll never trust you for as long as I live! I'll never trust anyone!" He shouts, pain evident in his voice. Luffy turns back around and resumes his walk into the woods.

"There's only one person I'll ever trust." He says quietly.

 _'Ace.'_

 **Line here**

Marco is rooted to the spot as he watches the kid walk away. His spine is straight as an arrow but Marco can feel the pure rage radiating off of his skinny body. The phoenix clenches his fists in frustration as the boy's words replay over and over in his head.

 _'Won't trust anyone? Shit, kid what happened to you to be this angry at us?'_ But Marco realizes he wasn't angry at them specifically, but at the world.

That cold look in his eyes made Marco shiver. He's first division commander, yet one look made his calm facade break. What scares him is the fact that someone so young can make that kind of expression.

The phoenix takes a step forward, ready to chase the kid and wipe that look off his face when Izou grabs his shoulder.

"Leave the kid. Going after him will just make everything worse. He's in no mood to talk to us."

"But if he leaves the island-"

"He'll be okay. If that punch is anything to go off of I'd say he's pretty strong." Izou says amusedly, trying to lighten the mood. When he doesn't succeed, he sighs.

"Look, we've been going about this the wrong way. He's noticed we were following him around and felt violated. The kid was a slave for goodness sakes, the last thing he wants is to be trapped. It's totally natural for him to feel paranoid."

"What are you saying Izou?"

"I'm saying exactly what I said before. Leave the kid alone. How would he react if a bunch of pirates abducted him and stole the right for him to choose, just like the beings who owned him?"

Hearing that just makes Marco want to keep the kid even more, to show him not everyone has to be bad and untrustworthy. He wants to show the kid what freedom is like, what being a 'pirate' is like. He wants to see those round eyes of innocence that were focused on him in the market.

He wants to show him how to be a kid again.

"Guys..." Marco and Izou turn to Thatch who looks very dejected.

"He won't last out there. Not being that angry." Thatch brings a hand to his mouth. "I didn't realize it then; the emotion I was feeling when I heard him sing. But now, I realize I was feeling _sadness_. That kid is so hurt and it _kills_ me inside. Having so many younger brothers and sisters makes me feel protective of the young'uns you know?" He sniffs and wipes his eyes.

"Oh Thatch." Izou says, going up to Thatch and placing a reassuring hand on his back.

"And you know what?"

"What?"

"Those cold eyes and angry attitude, they remind me of Ace."

Marco has already realized this, from the moment he locked eyes with him. That is why even if he never sees the boy again, he won't ever forget him.

 **Line here**

Luffy crashes through the forest, enraged at those stupid marines and happy they didn't chase after him.

 _'Guess they decided I wasn't worth the effort.'_ His arm and legs entangle themselves in vines and Luffy rips at them furiously for getting in his way. Nearby wildlife hears the commotion and scampers away.

 _'It's all their fault I'm like this.'_ They made him think about how Ace isn't here, and possibly too far away to hear his cries for help. What if he's taking too long? Luffy feels the loneliness and helplessness threaten to suck him under.

 _'I can't keep going like this for much longer.'_ The difficulty of the situation finally sinks into him. Even Garp wouldn't help him, his so called 'justice' was the Celestial Dragons. What if Ace turns him down too? Maybe he already knows that the village is doomed and left him alone.

"Would Ace do that to me?" An array of negative emotions shoots through Luffy. _'I don't know anything! Would someone just explain to me why this is all happening?! Why everybody is so scared, and mean?!'_

Luffy stops in place and screams to the sky. He runs up to a boulder and kicks it until it reduces to rubble. Then he turns on the nearest tree and punches it as hard as he can.

 _'Why?! Why?!'_ Luffy punches the tree continuously, pretending it's a noble, Celestial Dragon, Garp, and Akainu. "Someone just help me! I CAN'T DO THIS ALONE!" He socks the tree as hard as he can and it flies through the forest.

Luffy stops, panting harshly and standing in a hunched position. Tears fall down his face but he wipes them away quickly. He can pretty much hear Ace and Sabo calling him a crybaby.

Then he looks around the clearing, at the result of his temper tantrum.

He shakes his head and groans out loud.

This rage isn't helping him; it's just taking all his energy. Energy that he could be using to save his village. It isn't like him at all.

Taking a deep breath, Luffy sinks against a tree. He closes his eyes and counts back from ten.

10..

9..

8..

7..

6..

5..

4..

3..

2..

1..

He sighs out loud. That feels better.

The frustration, worry and pain has all been taken out on the marines and Ralph, he reminds himself. Now he has to remember his priorities, like destroying the flag.

 _'I've just got to focus my mind on finding Ace and saving the village. Not on all the bad stuff that will make me mad.'_ Carefully, Luffy removes the straw hat from his neck and gazes at it fondly.

 _'If I want to be Pirate King, I've got to learn how to handle situations like this.'_ Luffy frowns to himself. _'I didn't notice I dropped my hat when I got kidnapped. That Marco guy brought it with him, but why? To return it to me?'_ Instead of getting angry at the thought, it merely leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He doesn't want any marine touching _Shanks's_ hat.

 _'Another thing too.'_ Luffy returns his hat to its original place. Then he removes a bandage from his sac and ties it around his arm with the help of his teeth. _'Everyone is targeting me because they know this is sea stone. If I don't want to draw attention to myself I need to cover it up.'_

He pushes off of the tree and examines the bandages which are now on both arm and stub. Luffy blinks for a few seconds, then chuckles to himself. He looks like a mummy! Mummy's are awesome!

 _'Anyway,'_ Luffy pulls on his hood. _'I've got something I need to do.'_

He sprints through the forest and towards the village. In the teen's pocket are all the materials he needs for the plan.

It's the middle of the night, so not one person is outside. Simple torchlight creates limited visibility on the street.

Spotted from his time on the pirate ship, Luffy knows what boat he's going to escape on. Even if it takes awhile to leave he thinks he can find a good hiding spot on deck.

Just down the street is the flag, sitting flat from no wind. Luffy ducks behind a house so he won't be seen. He looks around for the guards, but the weird thing is, there's nobody defending the flag.

Luffy feels suspicious, every island before this has had at least some form of defence. What makes this one any different?

Shrugging, he sticks the matchbox in his mouth and holds the match and paper covered rock in his hand.

He's an expert at this now.

The teen peeks out from his hiding spot once again and checks for clearance. Despite the slight chill he feels, Luffy runs out in the open when he sees no one there.

This process has to be done as quick as possible. He drops the rock on the ground and with smooth efficiency he strikes the match against the box in his mouth. The match is placed on the rock and it bursts on fire.

Spitting the box out, Luffy covers his hand with the cloak and grabs the burning rock. The fire sears his skin through the fabric yet he does not drop it. He pulls his arm back and closes one eye, aiming right for his target...

"That's dangerous-yoi."

Luffy drops the rock in surprise and looks behind him, the cloak still covering his face.

 _'No way.'_ It's those marines _again_. All three are standing there with hard expressions and their weapons out. _'They came back for me.'_

"We finally got you." says the kimono one, Izou, he thinks. Luffy's heart thuds in his chest and he gets into a battle stance.

 _'Their going to bring me back to Foosha!'_

"I won't be caught by marines!" He shouts, getting ready to fight them if necessary. They exchange looks and Marco steps forward.

"Marines-yoi?" He practically spits. "Is that who you think we are? You destroyed our pride and honestly think _marines_ are after you?" Luffy blinks in bewilderment, not that they can see. Then he realizes, they don't recognize him from before, they just think he's the offender.

"Then who are you?" He demands. Just then, he notices that Marco's shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a tattoo on his chest. It's different, but Luffy recognizes the symbol immediately.

"The Whitebeard Pirates. And you've caused a lot of trouble for us-yoi."

...

...

...

... finally.

Something clicks in Luffy's mind and he almost starts sobbing in relief. But it is quickly overtaken by a desperate need to see Ace.

"Obviously you were trying to send us a message," Marco continues. "would you mind telling us why you went through all this trouble to get us this pissed off?" The pineapple head stumbles back in surprise when Luffy grabs his shirt and clutches it.

"Do you know Ace?" he asks, his voice so quiet they can barely hear it.

"Uh yeah we do, he's our crew mate." Luffy's mouth opens in a silent gasp and he clutches the shirt tighter

"I need to talk to him. As soon as possible."

They stay silent, looking at the now _childlike_ figure attached to Marco.

"Are you some sort of crazy fan?" Izou asks, raising a well groomed eyebrow. Thatch grunts in agreement.

"Yeah, cause this messing around with our flag isn't a light matter." Luffy growls in anger, not wanting to put up with this now.

"I'm not messing around! I need to see Ace as soon as possible! It's really important!" He needs to convince them now, if he lets them go he'll never get to his brother.

"What do you guys think?" Izou asks his friends. Thatch shrugs.

"Well we need to bring him to pops anyway, plus he went through the trouble of burning our flag just to see us. I think we should take him along." Luffy brightens up and removes his hand from Marco's shirt.

"Thank you!" He says brightly, bouncing on the spot. The Whitebeard Pirates are baffled, what is up with this mood change?

"Uh, no problem. My name is Izou. The big haired guy over there-"

"Hey!"

"...is Thatch, and the pineapple hair over there is Marco." Marco remains silent.

"Got a name?" Luffy nods his head enthusiastically.

"Yeah, it's Luffy."

"Okay Luffy, our ship is docked over here. Don't think we've forgotten about what you've done, so don't try anything funny." Izou says, twirling his gun then putting it back in the holster.

Their boat is mid-sized; it can hold four people comfortably. Marco steps over the railing and Thatch follows along. Luffy just stops and stares at the small vessel. Something prods his back.

"What are you waiting for? C'mon." Izou ushers Luffy on board.

"Do you get boat sick or something?" Thatch asks, untying the rope from the dock.

Luffy shakes his head and snorts in laughter. "No," he says, barely suppressing a laugh. "this is the ship I was going to hide on." They all roll their eyes as the boat starts to sail into the rising sun.

"It'll only take a few hours for us to reach the main ship. So until then you can go rest somewhere-yoi." says Marco.

It's no smiles from there, Luffy huddles up on a bench at the port side. He wraps his arm around his knees and stares at the water ahead, waiting for the ship to come into sight.

After a few minutes Luffy can barely keep his eyes open. He yawns loudly and settles on closing his eyes until he can just see through his eyelashes.

Upon observation Luffy notices that the group seems a bit unsettled. It becomes clear when Thatch stumbles over a crate for the fifth time and his friends have to tell him to get some rest.

"He'll be fine." The teen hears as they walk away. Off to the side Luffy can hear Marco calling someone on his snail phone.

Luffy shivers as the cold ocean breeze stings his skin. He curls further into a ball and tries to muster some body heat.

"Yeah pops he's here."

There's some garbling on the other end.

"Well, there was this one thing. But I'll talk to you about it later-yoi. It's been a long day."

More talk that Luffy can't hear.

"Is Ace there by the way? We kind of need him, it's important." Luffy's ears perk up.

"Okay, maybe he'll be back by the time we return."

'Pops' says something else, quieter this time.

"Alright-yoi. Goodnight pops." Marco hangs up and sighs deeply. Luffy shivers again and suddenly Marco turns to look at him.

Luffy closes his eyes immediately, but he can still feel the powerful gaze trained on him. He stiffens when the footsteps approach and then pause right beside him.

Warmth surrounds him and Luffy realizes it's a blanket. He immediately snuggles into the fabric with a heavy sigh.

The teen hears a light chuckle, and Marco walks away below deck.

Luffy watches him leave with one eye open. When he disappears from sight, Luffy smiles softly and then closes his eyes.

"Ace has good nakama."

 _ **THANKS TO ALL YOU AWESOME PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED, FAVED AND REVIEWED!**_

 _ **Writing the chase chapter made me want to vomit, but there is a lot of Marco in here so I hope you guys liked it!**_

 _ **There is a lot of Marco in here, hope you guys liked it.**_

 _ **Responses:**_

 **Phonenix: *whispers: "Next chapter…"**

 **Valeries26: Lolz I hope you enjoyed this chapter full of Marco, Thatch and Izou! Ace will be coming up soon.**

 **Guest (one who likes the title): Literally when I wrote that he was gone on a mission I did an evil laugh. They were just some no name pirates but he saw the Whitebeards soon afterwards! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **SEllen23: Buggy was actually a last minute touch, but I'm super glad I did it! Hope this chapter didn't disappoint!**

 **StarliteOracle: Thanks mn**

 **Guest (One that feels for Marco): Heh Ace did miss out, thanks for the review!**

 **RedHeadsRock1010: Haha thanks for the outside reaction, it makes me smile. Thanks for reading!**

 **xXGwenStacyXx: Your entire review made me laugh (not in a bad way), but there's a lot of Marco in this chapter and hopefully you are satisfied!**

 **Fandxms: LAUGHS EVILLY that would be next chapter mon ami**

 **GreenDrkness: Did you die from waiting? Sry b'out that so I hope you liked this chapter.**

 **MeganRouth: That sea stone is such a bother, both for Luffy and for me. Thanks for the review!**

 **Wanderer of the Sky: THANK YOU!**

 **Jamestheghost19: Thank you so much!**

 **Kagome11: A kabob (shish-kabob) is an array of cooked meats and veggies stuck on a stick. They didn't notice the leak because the cannon grazed the bottom and they thought it missed. Thanks for the review and I hope this meets your expectations!**

 **Muffin2234: Sorry if it took too long! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Starelight: Your enthusiasm makes me really happy! Thank you so much for reading this story!**

 **LongPastMidnight: Hahaha I like to add in a pinch of funny here and there, thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Vanimelde Melindel: Thank you!**

 **Resha Tsubaki: Here I'll tackle your points one by one lol:**

 **-Okay thank you for the information, I wasn't sure how it worked. There shouldn't be any more money mentioned, but if there is I'll keep that in mind.**

 **(both 2** **nd** **and 3** **rd** **pt) -I added a little more Luffy angst in this chapter. In the story it's more like he has been bottling up his pain for the sake of helping the village. But in this chapter he's struggling to hold it in.**

 **-When I picked where everything ended up I just chose a random Blue, if it bothers a lot of people I'll change it if enough people say so.**

 **Thank you so much for your input and it was definitely put to good use on making this chapter!**

 **NovaTheHedgehog7500: Yay someone noticed Larry! Thank you for reading!**

 **Lunaxel: Aw thank you! I'm sorry again I couldn't make it work, but I'm glad you're still sticking with the story! Hope you liked the chapter!**

 **EnixFairy: Thank you! Yeah the Whitebeard pirates aren't very happy, but hopefully they will forgive Luffy!**

 **Everlight18: Glad you like the OC's, I never really like them but I'm happy to hear I'm doing okay writing them. The next chapter will show how the Whitebeard pirates are handling the situation, unlike in here where they just catch Luffy. The medicine only keeps him from getting drowsy and super weak, it's something special that Alice came up with to help. I was wondering when someone would ask about the brand and the answer is; no. In the market the nobles can choose any slave they want and then brand them with what they choose so no one is previously branded. Thanks for your questions an I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **King-Elsa: Thank you so much and thanks for reviewing!**

 **Monkey : At the beginning of this story I was choosing which tense to use and since I wrote my notes mainly in present tense I decided to go with that. It's a little challenging but I don't want to switch tenses in the middle of the story just in case it interrupts the flow of it. So right now I guess this is just good practice! Thank you so much for the compliments and the review!**

 **ParrotsRAmazing: Thank you so much for the review it made me smile a lot! I'm deliberating adding Shanks in here, I really would like him in here but I'm trying to see where I can fit him in. I am going to do an epilogue with the crew and others just to fill in the empty spots at the end. So if you wanted to see the crew I guess they will appear.**

 **Alexzandria747: YAY thank you for reading this story and I hope you like it!**

 **Gothic-Wolf-Hart: Haha hope you enjoyed the Marco in this chapter!**

 **Zeynab: IM SORRY IM TRYIN' MY BEST**

 **Lauren: IM TRYIN'**

 **Straw Hat: Aww I'm happy to provide!**

 **xx-AnimeGirlz-xx: Thank you so much!**

 **Axxit: You honestly make me blush like an idiot, I honestly hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 _Next time: Ace._

 _~when I force myself to do it_


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

 **Man I'm always exhausted when I post these things, it's such a damn long process.**

 **Well, I don't know what to say besides that I know the chapter came out later than I thought.**

 **When I said that it should be posted within the month, I totally forgot about the fact that June is exam, test and project month. That's right, that meant minimal writing time and more cellular respiration.**

 **On the bright side, exams have just finished and now it's summer (whoopie!). That means a lot more writing time for me, and faster updates for you. So don't worry, the next chapter will be up a lot faster than this one.**

 **But I'd like to take the time to comment on the fact that I now have almost 200 reviews on this story and over 300 follows. It means a lot to me you guys, and whenever I see a notification every time I go and write a little more of my story.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this long awaited chapter.**

 **And yes, this is the one where Ace appears.**

 **DISCLAIMER**

"Oi, wake up."

Luffy groans as something nudges his back. With a tired glance up he realizes it's Marco.

"Time to get up-yoi. We've arrived at the Moby Dick." The pineapple head says, then walks away to prep the boat for docking.

After a minute of inner deliberation, Luffy assumes the Moby Dick is their ship's name. A slight prick of excitement run through his veins. Ace is right there!

The teen shifts his head to look at the ship, and his eyes widen into saucers.

The Moby Dick is huge! No, that word doesn't even cut it. Luffy thinks he can fit all of Foosha Village on the deck.

Wanting to get a better look, he pushes himself up in a sitting position.

Luffy's stomach does a roll and he immediately clutches it. The pain spikes and he scrunches his face up, hoping it will stop.

 _'What's happening?'_ There's a scratch in his throat and Luffy suddenly starts having a coughing fit. He presses a hand to his mouth in attempt to muffle the noise, but a few strangled wheezes still escape.

"Are you okay?" Luffy snaps his eyes up to Thatch, who is looking at him curiously. Luffy just nods, his hand still at his mouth.

"I'm fine." He mumbles. Thatch stares at him for a bit then walks away.

"We'll get the nurse to look at you when we get on the ship." He says over his shoulder. Luffy doesn't answer, but when Thatch is gone he removes his hand from his mouth.

 _'No way.'_ He examines his hand. Luffy thinks he _must_ have put his hand in red paint because that blood didn't come from his mouth, did it?

With a grimace, he wipes it off on his cloak and doesn't think twice about it.

They finally reach the ship, and Luffy has to crane his head back to see the top. "That's amazing.." He says in pure awe.

Luffy immediately changes his mind. He can't fit Foosha Village on there, he can fit that plus the entire world.

When he gets his own ship, Luffy wants it to be as big as this one! Also with cool gadgets...a laser maybe.

Hearing the comment, Marco smirks knowingly then knocks on the side of the ship.

"Bring it down!" He yells. At first nothing happens, but then a rope ladder drops from the deck down to their ship.

Luffy moves to stand up but a blast of nausea forces him to delay. He holds onto the railing for balance and hopes his legs will stay straight.

Thatch and Izou don't wait too long before they climb up at masters' speed. Luffy watches them go and realizes another problem.

 _'How am I going to climb that with one arm?'_

"Are you coming-yoi?" Luffy jumps at Marco's voice. He forgot he's still here.

"You can go first. I'll be right behind you." He says nervously, finally letting go of the railing. It's drenched in sweat.

Marco doesn't seem to notice though. "I can't do that-yoi. You're technically a prisoner so I can't leave you alone."

Luffy curses to himself and walks to the ladder. He grabs the rope, tugs on it experimentally, then looks up. That climb suddenly seems a lot longer than he originally thought.

He gulps in nervousness when he hears Marco's impatient toe tapping.

"Is there something wrong-yoi?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. Luffy scrambles his brain for an excuse. If they find out about his arm, they'll tell Ace! And he doesn't want Ace to worry about him!

But he doesn't know what to do. It doesn't look like there is any other way to get on the ship except for the ladder.

"I-I um," Think Luffy, think! "I injured my arms and I can't climb with them." Perfect! Luffy sticks out his bandage covered arm and flaunts it so Marco can definitely see the evidence.

"You didn't have much trouble with them when you were destroying our flag-yoi." Damn it! Just believe his story!

"I can handle a simple thing like throwing a rock, but my arms can't take lifting my own body weight." Luffy says innocently, shrugging his shoulders. He hopes his bad lying skills have improved at least a little bit.

Based off of his crossed arms and blank expression, Marco looks like he doesn't believe any of it. But to Luffy's surprise, Marco smiles at him. Although it doesn't look super friendly.

"No problem-yoi, I'll take you up another way."

"Another way?" Luffy repeats confusedly.

Marco snorts. "Well yeah. Did you think I was going to carry you up on my back or something?"

Yes, Luffy honestly did.

"Then how are we going to get up?"

Marco smirks then suddenly spreads his arms out.

Luffy has to wipe his eyes again and again because he thinks he's definitely gone insane now.

There are _blue flames_ coming off of Marco's body in waves. They envelop his arms and body like a silk robe. Gradually they grow and swallow him whole into a fiery cocoon.

Luffy can't help but gape when he shifts and grows into a huge bird thing. Marco (or is that even Marco anymore?!) screeches loudly in bird tongue and flaps his wings to show off their flames. The straw hat teen clenches his fist and bobs it up and down excitedly.

"AMAZIIIIING!" He yells in awe, stars surrounding his head.

After Marco is finished with his little show, he settles himself on the ground and extends an inviting wing.

"You want me to get on?" Luffy guesses. The bird Marco nods and Luffy slowly reaches out to it.

To his surprise, the flames don't hurt in the least bit. They are actually quite cool and soothing on his skin.

Luffy cards his hand through the soft flaming feathers and chuckles at the funny texture. Marco makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a purr, but he chokes it down last minute and caws harshly at Luffy to get on.

The boy delicately sits on Marco's back and clings onto his neck with his arm. He wraps his legs to the sides of the bird and hopes his leg strength can keep him stable.

With Luffy finally on, Marco stretches his neck then spreads his wings wide. After a couple of flaps, they're hovering above the boat.

Luffy grips Marco tighter as they levitate higher and higher. Then suddenly, Marco's wings give a single powerful flap and they shoot forward.

"Woah!" Luffy screams in amazement. Marco flaps his wings and they circle above the Moby Dick, providing an A-class view of the deck.

Without warning, Marco swoops downward. Luffy buries his head in the bird's neck and feels his stomach toss and turn as they plummet.

Marco screeches a bird call. He slowly guides his body horizontally until hey are gliding smoothly across the ship. Once they are in the centre of the deck, Marco flaps his wings to bring them to a stop.

"That was..." Luffy mumbles, his hood falling back on his face from when it was blown off. Marco gently nudges Luffy off of his back. The teen wobbles a moment while Marco transforms back to his human form.

"AWESOME!" He finishes. Marco's face is neutral and his lips are tight, as if he is trying to hold in a laugh.

"It's my devil fruit-yoi. I ate a Mythical Zone type and now I can transform into a phoenix."

"So cool!"

The pair have caught the attention of everyone on deck by now. Most are confused that this flamboyant and 'short' person is the one who has been wrecking their flags.

The remainder of the crew are pulling out their weapons.

"So you're the one who's been causing a ruckus." Says a burly man with fuzzy black hair. Luffy doesn't even hear him, he's looking around the deck distractedly.

"Commander, why don't you let the 7th division take care of this little problem?" Another one says, unsheathing his blade. Several members growl in agreement.

"No! Let the 9th division take care him. The 7th division has been on way more missions than any of us. Give our division a chance to prove ourselves!" Men from the other side of the deck cheer in unison. Members of the 7the division growl at them.

"No way! Let the 11th division deal with him!"

"5th division! We're the best!"

"Commander Marco is our leader, so let 1st division do it!"

The whole crew is arguing amongst each other, deciding who will have the honour of bringing down their enemy. Marco observes all the idiots around him, his lazy eyes annoyed. The noise is getting atrocious.

He glances to Luffy, wondering how he's taking it. But the guy doesn't even look like he notices a thing. His head is swerving around the crowd and he's on his tip toes looking for something.

Marco raises an eyebrow. Luffy is definitely not as cruel as he had made him out to be. Actually, he's nothing like Marco had anticipated.

But he can't forget the chaos Luffy caused. No matter what the guy's personality is, he still put their islands in danger. They had to stop too many un-allied pirates who were trying to raid them. There were a lot of close calls, and they almost lost a few crew members.

The only part that confuses Marco is that this is all to see Ace. Or is it? He just said he wants to see Ace, but is this really all for him? What is Luffy's relation to him?

"Oi."

Marco focuses back to the object of his thoughts.

"Yes-yoi? Make it quick, I've got to bring you to pops so he can decide what to do with you."

"Where's Ace?" He asks bluntly.

"He's on a mission right now-yoi, but we called him and he'll be back in a few hours." Luffy physically deflates. "So until then, you're coming to meet pops."

Marco beckons the now quiet Luffy along and they push past the arguing crew.

Across the deck sits a large chair on top of a small staircase. On the 'throne' is none other than Whitebeard. His expression is neutral, and he regards Luffy with a small frown. IV's and different medical tubes are attached to his arms and under his nose, giving him the impression of a weak old man. But everyone knows better.

He's not called the strongest man in the world for nothing.

The crew has stopped arguing at this point and have crowded around Whitebeard, Luffy and Marco. Their once loud shouts have reduced to anxious murmurs. Surrounding the captain are the different commanders, including Thatch and Izou.

Marco walks up to his captain with a compliant Luffy trudging beside him.

"Marco," Whitebeard booms, his voice shaking every corner of the deck. "Is this the brat who's been destroying our flags?"

Most of the crew look over to see Luffy's reaction to Whitebeard's obviously intimidating stature. But to their surprise, he looks calm; standing straight with no indication of emotion under his hood.

"Yes-yoi. His name's Luffy and he says he has an important message for Ace." Marco responds.

"And what is this message Luffy?" Whitebeard asks, a serious expression on his features.

Everyone turns to the teen, expecting an answer. But Luffy doesn't say anything and gives no indication that he heard them.

"If you're going so far as to provoke us, there must be an urgency to this message. Am I right?" Whitebeard presses. Luffy remains quiet again and Marco frowns.

"Oi. My captain is talking to you." He says with a nudge, irritation bubbling up. Luffy keeps his silence for a little longer then finally speaks.

"I'm not going to say anything until Ace is here." He says stubbornly. Whitebeard raises a giant eyebrow and leans forward in his seat.

"We're his crew, you can trust us with whatever information you need to tell him." He says calmly, trying to persuade Luffy to talk. There's a pause, and everyone thinks Luffy is about to comply.

Instead he stomps his foot and turns his head away. "No!"

 _'So childish!'_ The entire crew thinks in unison, falling back comically on the deck.

"First the rope ladder and now this? You're being pretty demanding for someone who's supposed to be a prisoner-yoi." Marco points out, a frown forming on his lips.

Luffy ignores him and stomps over to a railing. He plops on the deck with an audible thump, officially starting his silent rebellion.

The crew look curiously at Luffy and break out into mutters over his odd behaviour. Whitebeard watches him for a moment then settles back into his seat.

"Everyone get back to your duties and no one disturb the brat. Marco, Thatch and Izou remain here." The crew breaks up reluctantly, shooting the occasional glare at the huddled Luffy.

"Do you all know why he is behaving this way?" Whitebeard asks the commanders. Marco rubs his aching head.

"No-yoi. In fact he was quite talkative when we first met him. It's just when I told him Ace wasn't here, he shut up and won't say a word until he comes."

"So he says. Whatever he has to say to Ace must be quite important to him..." Whitebeard trails off and takes the time to analyze the boy.

From what he sees, Luffy isn't in the best of health. His gangly and pale legs are pulled up to his chest. Whitebeard can only see one arm, but the amount of bandages on it suggests no light injury.

"He seems young." The captain says. The commanders briefly glance over at Luffy.

"I thought so too-yoi." Marco says. He can guess that easily from the kid's stature and voice.

"Hey guys, you don't think that's him, do you? I mean, it's a long shot, but they resemble each other in some ways." Thatch says quietly, making sure Luffy can't hear him.

"I don't know, their mannerisms are completely different." Says Izou, catching on. Whitebeard settles further into his chair. The friction makes a squeaking sound against the wood.

"Who is this your talking about?" He asks. A seldom look passes through each of their faces.

"Before we caught Luffy we met a slave boy in the city-yoi."

"Slave boy?"

Marco nods in confirmation. "A slave trader tried to take him, and we went to go help him out."

"Although he didn't need it, he escaped pretty easily." Thatch admits.

"But he was so thin and sick, we didn't want him to be left on his own. So we tried to convince him to come on board." Marco pauses. The waves crash against the Moby Dick and a seagull caws somewhere. "His eyes were terrifying-yoi. He said he would never trust us or anyone for as long as he lived."

Whitebeard says nothing, just listens to the story with a grim expression.

"He was really angry too, not just at us, but at the world. If he really was a slave, I honestly don't blame him." Izou says, brushing a hair out of his face.

"But do we really think Luffy is the boy from the market?" Thatch asks his friends. "He seemed to dislike us a lot back then..."

Whitebeard lightly taps his giant staff on the ground. It's not loud, but it's enough to grab all of their attention.

"No matter who he is, he still deserves punishment for destroying our flags. But since he is so adamant on waiting for Ace, I will hold off on any decisions until the brat can speak for himself." The commanders all nod, but do not dismiss their original suspicions. "Thatch, can you get the brat something to eat? He probably hasn't had a good meal in awhile. Also, when your done, send a nurse to check up on our guest." Thatch nods and skitters to the kitchen.

"You two can go back to your duties, I'll keep a good eye on the brat." Hesitantly, Marco and Izou leave the captain to his devices.

The crew carries on as usual, but they always keep a wary eye on their prisoner.

The breeze is cool as it drifts over the deck. It ruffles Luffy's cloak and he struggles to keep it from flying away. Once the wind passes, he curls into a tighter ball, trying to get some warmth.

 _'Why am I so cold?'_ Luffy wonders angrily, just as another set of chills hits him. It's 30 degrees with no clouds!

Trying to get under the warm sun, Luffy lifts his hood slightly. Instead of having the warming effect that it should, his mild headache turns into a full on migraine. He immediately retreats back into his cloak and holds in a moan of pain. Luffy brings a hand to his forehead only to yank it back. To his surprise, it's drenched in sweat.

 _'But I'm freezing!'_ Luffy doesn't understand what's happening, so he sets on distracting himself.

Keeping his head semi down, he traces lines in the deck with his eyes.

 _'Maybe I should ask for a blanket?'_ He wonders to himself. Then he shakes his head. _'No! I'm not talking to them! They lied about Ace being here!'_ He pouts and resumes tracing the deck.

Luffy doesn't know how long it has been, but his eyes start falling shut. For some reason his energy keeps decreasing, leaving him struggling to keep his eyes open.

 _'I can't fall asleep, I have to wait for Ace.'_ He slaps his cheek and forces his brain to be alert.

"Easy there Luffy, don't want to hurt yourself."

A pair of feet appear in his line of sight and Luffy looks up to a smiling Thatch.

 _Who is holding a plate of rather delicious looking food._

Saliva pools around Luffy's mouth. Unknown to Luffy, Thatch is peering at his hood trying to see the face hidden underneath.

"You must be hungry, so I brought some food for you!" He says, smiling a little _too_ wide. Luffy ignores the oddness of Ace's crew mate and sniffs the delicious aroma.

Or should be delicious aroma. Instead sickness bubbles up in his stomach and Luffy has to hold in a gag.

He honestly doesn't think he can stomach the meal. He hasn't eaten in forever, the kabob is now a distant memory. Now he thinks if he takes one bite he will puke it all up.

With Luffy distracted, Thatch leans closer, trying to peer under his cloak. But when Luffy reaches a hand up, Thatch snaps back and whistles an innocent tune.

Luffy selects a single bun off the plate and nibbles on it slowly. Thatch quirks a brow.

"Surely you can't just be hungry for that measly thing." He protests. Luffy feels bad for not eating the extravagant dish, it goes against his 'eat everything' philosophy.

"I'm not that hungry. I'm sorry for wasting food." He says quietly. Thatch's eyes go wide, and Luffy doesn't know if it is because he didn't take the food, or that he actually spoke.

"Don't worry about it." Thatch assures him, smiling lightly. "Someone else will definitely eat it."

Luffy sighs in relief. "Sorry again."

"It's fine, just let me know if you change your mind." Thatch says, walking back to the galley.

The straw hat teen watches him leave, then sinks further back against the railing and goes back to pecking away at his snack.

 **Line here**

Thatch closes the door to the galley behind him, then leans up against the cool metal with a frustrated huff.

"I thought you were going to bring Luffy that food-yoi?"

Thatch turns his head over to see Izou, Marco and several other crew members sitting at the bar in front of the kitchen. They're all quiet and have their gazes locked on Thatch.

"I did bring it to him." He says with a sigh, leaning off the door and walking behind the bar. "But he said he wasn't hungry and only grabbed a bun." Thatch sets the plate in front of him. "So does anyone else want it instead?"

Vista, the 5th division commander raises his hand.

"I'll eat it, your meals are so good I can't let any of them go to waste." The man says, his large moustache twitching in amusement. Thatch smiles and slides the plate over to him.

"You should have made him eat it all. He's been making too many demands to the pirates he's trying to provoke." Izou says with a scowl. He taps his coiffed fingernails over the wooden bar rhythmically.

"That just seems like his personality. He might be the slave kid and still have a grudge against us. Besides, he says he did this all for Ace." Thatch replies, grabbing a cloth and wiping the counter. Izou stops tapping.

"Well I'm not treating him different than the enemy. By the way, did you see under his hood?" He asks.

"No," Thatch sighs. "He kept his head hidden the entire time."

"We're probably just being paranoid-yoi. We left the slave kid on bad terms." Marco says, frowning.

"Honesty, what's stopping us from ripping the hood off of his head and taking a look for ourselves?" Izou huffs.

"Because-yoi, if Luffy is the slave kid, the last thing we want is for him to have the same reaction as before. On a ship. Where he'll be trapped. And have nowhere to run."

"Yeah yeah," Izou waves a dismissive hand. "But I feel like we're putting too much thought into this. Their personalities are polar opposites. Just leave the guy alone like pops said until Ace gets back. I for one am treating him like an enemy." He sees the troubled faces of his comrades and sighs.

"Look, we'll go back for the slave kid after this whole ordeal is settled, okay?"

"I decided to go anyway-yoi. Like it or not, he's joining our crew. Although it may take a little convincing." Marco says, swirling a finger on the rim of his water glass.

"Hey, if we got Ace to join once upon a time, then this shouldn't be that hard." Thatch chuckles. All of them smile at the memory. Ace was definitely quite the handful, but some will argue that he's still trouble.

"Oh right!" Thatch exclaims, smacking a fist in his palm. "I have to get a nurse to check Luffy out."

"I wonder how he hurt his arms." Marco ponders aloud.

"He was coughing a little bit back there too. Wonder if he came down with something." Thatch slides from the back of the counter and jogs to the door.

"Get Anna!" Izou shouts after him. "She isn't too gentle."

 **Line here**

Luffy is roused from his daze when he hears the tapping of high heels on the wooden deck.

 _'Damn it! I almost fell asleep before Ace got here!'_ He reprimands himself. Arriving at his feet are Thatch and a tall blonde lady with a small case in her hand.

"Luffy?" Thatch asks, leaning forward. Luffy raises his head and the two pirates know he is listening. "This is Anna, our ship's head nurse. She's going to look you over." Luffy frowns under his hood. He can't let her see his injuries, or she'll tell Ace and he'll think Luffy's weak!

"Do I _have_ to look after this guy? I mean, he deserves any injury he's got." Anna snorts, assessing Luffy with a harsh glare.

"Yes, on pops orders." Thatch says, nudging her. "It's just a check up." Anna grunts in annoyance and crouches down to Luffy's eye level.

"Yo, can you tell me if there's something wrong with you?" Luffy remains silent, staring at her through his hood.

"Uhhh," Thatch rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "He refuses to talk to anyone on board, guess I should have warned you."

"Seriously?" She says, eyes narrowing dangerously. Thatch nods and slowly backs away (definitely not to escape the potential rage of his beloved nakama! Never!).

"Well, I guess I'll leave it to you! Bye!" He runs to the galley before anyone can even blink. Luffy remains the same, keeping his arm tucked under his stomach stubbornly. Anna stares mutely at Luffy, waiting for him to say something. When he doesn't, she leans forward. Time to make him talk.

"I know there's something wrong with you. Pops wouldn't have me check on you for nothing, especially an enemy." Luffy keeps his lips sealed. He won't tell her his head hurts, or that his arm feels like it's being scrubbed off with sandpaper, or that he's about to puke just from a little piece of bread.

Luffy's not going to tell her anything. Not even Ace.

" _Look,_ " her sudden change in tone has Luffy's eyes widening. "There are flags on these islands for a reason, and do you know what that is?"

When Luffy doesn't respond, she jabs a finger to his chest.

"Protection. One of those islands you 'visited' has my little cousin on it. When you destroyed the flag it left them, including her, vulnerable to pirate attacks. We were lucky to get there just in time before something bad happened." Anna leans in until she is right in front of his face. "So I don't like how you're going around, thinking you can do whatever you want without consequences both on this ship and off of it. You're a _prisoner._ So you're going to listen to _our_ rules, got it?"

Anna glares at Luffy, panting lightly. She didn't mean to rant to him, but the fact that her little cousin had come so close to death because of this man has her temper flaring.

"Well?!" She says expectantly, getting angrier by Luffy's silence.

To her shock, Luffy bows deeply from his sitting position.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes meaningfully, ignoring the dizzy spell brought on by the movement. He hadn't realized until now how much danger he was putting those islands in. Luffy had only thought of his island alone and discarded worry about any others. "I feel bad, and I'm sorry I put your family in danger."

Anna blinks, not expecting the profound apology. _Certainly_ not from a child, she notes from the higher voice. Catching herself staring, she waves her hands.

"I-it's alright. You don't have to bow." Luffy raises his head up. "As long as you regret your actions, I accept your apology. Unfortunately, that won't be enough for the rest of the crew."

"I didn't think so..." Luffy trails off, looking at the ground dejectedly. He doesn't want Ace's nakama to hate him!

Anna stares at him intently for a moment. "You really want to make it up to this crew, don't you?" She asks. Luffy just nods his head, trying to muffle a cough. "I just don't see why. You destroyed our flags with the intent of damaging our crew, and now you want to be friends with us?"

"That's because-" Luffy slaps his hand over his mouth. "I forgot! I'm not going to talk until Ace gets here!" He shouts, voice muffled by his hand. With that, he brings his knees back up and tucks his arm behind them, now silent.

Anna can barely contain a roll of her eyes. "C'mon kid, I don't want to deal with your games." She waits for a response, but he has sealed his lips together.

"Fine." She says bitterly, but with more softness than last time. "I'll look you over myself."

She moves to grab his arm, but Luffy stubbornly pulls away. A vein throbs on Anna's forehead.

"No, no way are you going to do that." Luffy just watches her warily from under his hood. "I'm going to find out what's wrong with you, one way or another." She goes for Luffy's wrist, and he flinches away. But at the last second, she grabs his hood and moves it back _slightly-_

Luffy's migraine throbs and he desperately yanks it down again, but not without Anna seeing his face.

 _'He's younger than I thought!'_ She thinks in astonishment, watching Luffy fumble with his hood. _'And cute too. Like a teddy bear or something.'_

Luffy on the other hand, is trying to push away the deep ache and nausea. He crushes his eyes shut and grits his teeth in pain.

"Do you not like the light?" Anna asks, oblivious to the boy's issue.

"Yeah." Luffy grits out. Little by little the migraine becomes manageable, and Luffy can focus back on the nurse.

Anna nods and opens up the small kit at her side. She shifts a few objects around until she selects a roll of bandage.

"I see your arm is wrapped, is the injury severe?" She asks, trying to look him in the eye. Luffy ducks his head a little.

"N-no it isn't." He lies. His hand is badly burnt from throwing flaming rocks. Anna raises a disbelieving brow.

"Oh really?" She asks, slowly tugging away at the bandage around his finger tips. Luffy snatches his hand back and sticks it between his thighs.

"Mhm that's right." He says a little _too_ fast. "But I...um... hurt my leg awhile ago, and it doesn't feel so great." And It's true. The wolf bite on his calf is wide and scabbing over. That wound is the least of his troubles, but Luffy hopes it's enough to keep her away.

Anna shifts her squatting position to where she is right in front of Luffy's shins. She holds his leg with great care and extends it slowly, exposing the entire limb.

"You didn't do a great job bandaging it." She scolds. Anna peels the bandages off until the entire wound is exposed. "My my. This is something." Taking a moment, she steals a cloth from her kit and immediately sets to dabbing off the dried blood.

Luffy watches her with curious eyes. With the tender way she works, Anna kind of reminds him of Makino. Well, a kind of tough Makino.

A stitch of pain hits his heart, but then he remembers he's just a step away from bringing her and the entire village back.

"All done." She says, finishing off her treatment. Luffy looks down at his leg and rolls it around experimentally. The bandage is secure, and it's not too tight.

"Thank you!" He says, grinning widely. Anna swears she can see the gleam of his teeth under his hood.

"Your welcome." She says, eyes a lot kinder than before. "Are there any more injuries I should know about?" Anna eyes his bandaged arm.

Luffy shakes his head. "I'm okay now." Then he abruptly shuts his mouth again. ' _Stop talking stupid self!'_ Anna notices his silence with a heavy sigh.

 _'He's not going to talk again is he?'_ She thinks exasperatedly. "Well, the bandages on your arm don't look too shabby so I guess I'll leave them." Luffy mentally raises a fist victoriously. "I would check your other arm, as I assume it is in the same condition as your right..."

 _'If only you knew.'_ Luffy says mentally.

"...however, judging how you were before, I'll leave it alone too." Luffy smiles in relief under his hood. "BUT!" Anna shoots forward until their noses are almost touching. "You better tell me if there is any pain. As a doctor I absolutely positively _cannot_ leave a wound unattended. Understand?" Luffy nods quickly, slightly intimidated.

Anna smiles lightly and pats his head. "If you're really adamant about making it up to the crew, I wish you good luck Luffy."

"Thanks!" He grins in a D-shape. Anna smiles a bit wider, then something catches her eye.

"Haruta!" She yells, shooting up and pointing. "What are you doing out of the infirmary?! And- DID YOU TAKE YOUR BANDAGES OFF?!"

Luffy leans over to look around the raging nurse. He observes where she is pointing and sees a short brown haired girl in a green outfit. She's all the way across the deck, though Luffy can see her sweating bullets.

The girl in green stutters something that is too far away to hear and starts creeping away slowly. Anna's jaw flexes angrily, and she jerkily bends down to collect her box of medical equipment.

"GET BACK HERE BEFORE I CHOKE YOU!" She hollers. 'Haruta' screams in panic and runs somewhere into the ship. "OH NO YOU DON'T! GET BACK HERE!"

The nurse takes off chasing her at lightning speed, pumping her arms intensely. In a second she is gone, and in her place a stray breeze swishes Luffy's cloak.

The teen watches where she left, then chuckles. Ace's crew is so funny! He keeps laughing to himself until his stump gives a hard sting.

 _'Ouch!'_ Luffy cringes and shifts himself so that his shoulder isn't touching the railing. He leans back and sighs, trying to keep his high temperature down.

"Come on Ace...come back." It takes all his willpower to keep his eye lids from falling shut, but eventually his exhausted gives in and Luffy allows himself some rest.

 **Line here**

"He's here!"

"Someone bring down the rope for the striker!"

Loud shouts and boots clapping against the deck break Luffy from his slumber. With bleary eyes, Luffy notices how darker everything is and realizes it's later in the day.

 _'I must have slept for hours.'_ He cringes at the noise around him. It's killing his head!

"Commander Ace!"

"Welcome back!"

Luffy's breath hitches and he snaps his head around so fast that it makes a large cracking sound. But just as he turns, his vision turns spotty and he falls face first on the deck.

 _'Ughh...'_ Luffy moans, barely pushing himself back up on his knees. He watches as the crew flocks around an area further down the ship and furrows his brows in frustration.

Ace is _right there._ Luffy will absolutely wait _not another damn second of his life._

He wobbles to his feet, ignoring the blur on the edges of his vision. Taking a step forward, Luffy knows it's too unsteady and he should grab a railing for support.

Instead he walks another step. Then another. Then another.

 **Line here**

Marco walks through the throng of his excited brothers and sisters. He steps up to the railing and peers down.

Low and behold, is the person he has been 'impatiently' waiting for these past hours.

Ace finishes tying his striker to the side of the ship, then readjusts his orange hat back on his head of black wavy hair. He looks up, and a big grin splits his face.

"Marco!" He shouts happily, waving to his closest friend. The phoenix allows himself a smile, pushing his annoyance away for just a moment, because Ace's smiles are so damn contagious.

"Hello-yoi. You might want to hurry up here." He calls down, lazy eyes looking serious. Ace nods and blasts up on the deck using the fire power on the soles of his feet. The crew near the railing all disperse to give Ace room.

The fire user lands on the wooden deck with a 'clack' then brushes his hands on his shorts.

 **Line here**

He sees him. He's exactly how Luffy remembers.

It's him. His brother. His life.

His saviour.

Luffy's legs push even faster, and since no one looks in his direction, they don't see the sparkling tears blowing in the wind.

The teen doesn't notice the single pair of eyes watching him carefully from the throne.

 **Line here**

"Nice to see you everyone!" Ace greets with a grin, freckled nose crinkling. The crew all shout their hellos, and then Ace walks up to Marco and smacks him on the back.

"Hey Marco! You look like you've got your feathers ruffled!" He laughs. Marco peels Ace's hand off of his back and sighs.

"I asked you to get here as soon as possible-yoi. What took so long?" He grumbles. Ace scratches his nose sheepishly.

"Haha, well I _kinda sorta_ almost got killed by a sea king." He smirks proudly. "But I ate it instead."

The entire crew sweat drops. Only Ace can turn a situation around like that and still manage to eat an entire sea king.

 **Line here**

"Ace..." Luffy calls softly, but his voice cracks.

"Ace..." He tried again, but louder this time.

"ACEEEEEE!"

 **Line here**

"But anyway," Ace changes the subject. "What was so urgent that you had to call me back?" Marco opens his mouth to answer.

"Well, there is-"

"ACEEEEEE!"

Everyone turns in shock to where the caterwaul came from. Suddenly, something blurs past all of them at high speed and shoots directly at Ace.

The fire user barely catches himself as he's tackled right in the stomach. He blinks in bewilderment at the small black figure attached to him like a leech.

"Oi." Marco starts, about to grab the kid who's hurting his brother. But Ace isn't injured, Luffy has an arm tight around Ace's torso and his head is tucked into his chest.

He's _embracing_ him.

Ace is beyond confused.

Looking down, he examines the small figure holding him like his life depends on it.

"I finally found you..." The warm breath tickles Ace's bare stomach.

Then it hits him. Ace doesn't believe it, but his instincts and honed brother senses are all screaming that it's _damn true._

Ace puts both hands on the teen's shoulders and pushes him back slightly to see his face.

"Luffy?" The hooded figure nods, but Ace still has to ask again. "Is that really you?"

Luffy steps out of Ace's grip. With his sole arm, he reaches for his hood and pulls it back to expose his teary eyed, pale face to everyone.

Most of the crew has shocked expressions that the offender is such a young kid, a sickly one at that.

Marco feels his eyes widen in recognition and he exchanges looks with Thatch and Izou, their shocked expressions mirroring his own.

 _'So we were right, Luffy is the slave kid.'_ He thinks in bewilderment, watching Ace as he goes on his knees. 'Ace knows him?'

"Luffy..." He says again, like he can't believe it. Then suddenly he shoots forward and pulls his brother into a tight embrace. Luffy would have complained about the grip any other time, but right now it feels like heaven. He buries his face in Ace's neck to breathe in the comforting scent.

"What...what the hell happened to you?! You're so thin and pale! And what are you doing so far from Dawn Island?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack you stupid little brother?!" Ace demands, worry and concern seeping into his voice. He curls his hand protectively in Luffy's fluffy black hair.

A collective gasp goes through the crew at the news. This is Ace's little brother?! Thatch looks like he's about to faint while Izou's mouth is gaping like a fish.

Marco watches the kid-no, Ace's brother- sniffle as he's trying to keep the tears at bay, but failing miserably.

His eyes aren't cold and harsh like back on the island, they're full of sadness, anguish and finally relief as he soaks in Ace's embrace.

Luffy's no angry offender, Marco realizes. He's a scared kid.

"I'm sorry." The whimper draws Marco's attention back to the conversation. Everyone is listening in by now. "But I had to. I had to find you. I-it's Dawn Island. Those stupid nobles wanted to take me, but the whole village ended up getting in trouble! Now Foosha Village is all captured and they sell us all as slaves." Luffy refrains from saying that they primarily came to the island to get revenge on Ace. Instead, he tells him it is Sabo's dad who started the whole thing.

"It's Sabo's dad's fault." Luffy sniffles and rubs his wet eyes on Ace's shoulder. "He wanted to get back at us for getting rid of his _blood heir._ He sneers, then his expression softens. "I'm so glad I found you Ace."

Ace doesn't say anything, he's shocked speechless. He chokes on his words and his pupils shrink.

"That bastard." he finally growls. "Why didn't he just leave us alone? Why didn't he leave _you_ alone?! Damn...I can't believe this is happening." Ace rests his forehead on Luffy's shoulder. The straw hat teen snuggles further into his brother. "What about Gramps? He could get those bastards to back off." Luffy shakes his head slowly.

"...he didn't even pick up the phone." His voice is hollow with disappointment. Ace feels his arms tremble in anger. "You're the only one left."

Rage pulses through Ace's veins. Despite being absent for most of the time, Garp was still family. But now...Ace just sees how easily disposable they are to their grandfather.

Himself, he couldn't give two shits about. But Luffy...he's Garp's blood grandson. The thought of the old man leaving him there to be _tortured_ brings Ace into an unfathomable rage.

Bastard. _Fucking cowardly bastard._

Marco watches the brothers with a new perspective. So that was the brat's story, and why he wanted to see Ace so much. The phoenix focuses his gaze on the flame-user.

He hadn't taken Ace for a person who was close with his family, much less a big brother. Ace always has been the littlest amongst them, and Marco can tell it's a bit surprising to his siblings.

Plus there was how Ace acted when he first arrived on the crew. He was so dark and angry at the time and wouldn't trust a soul.

With a look to the side, the commander notices his captain. He's sitting calmly at his throne, observing what's happening with a calculating look.

Honestly, now it surprises Marco that Ace would throw away his life so easily doing assassination attempts on pops when he apparently had a little brother to consider.

Marco smirks and shakes his head in disbelief. Ace is such an idiot sometimes.

"Can you believe it? That they're brothers?" Thatch whispers harshly, him and Izou walking up beside Marco.

"I see a resemblance now, how could we not have known they were related?" Izou scoffs.

 _'They aren't.'_ Marco thinks to himself. _'Ace only told me and pops about his heritage, and with that it's impossible. There must be something else at play.'_

"Shh," Marco hushes them. "I want to hear what they're saying."

"You don't have to be alone anymore, Lu. I'll help you." Ace says, determination in his voice.

"...thank you." Luffy whispers. All the weight of the past months falls off of Luffy's shoulders and now he can finally _breathe._

Ace frowns at the shakiness in his little brother's words. He pulls Luffy into a tighter hug, protecting him from all of the dangers that have been eating away at his spirit.

Then he notices something wrong.

He pulls away to examine his little brother. The first thing that catches his eye are the bandages covering his arm. Quickly, he unravels them from a weirdly compliant Luffy.

"A seastone band." He says to himself. His theory is verified when he touches the cuff experimentally and his energy is drained immediately. "That's why there are bruises on your skin," Ace realizes. "Your power hasn't stopped it. When did you get this on?"

"At the village. The first day they took over." Luffy replies, tone seldom. "It's a pain in the ass."

"Don't worry Lu, we'll get it off." And they better soon. Luffy doesn't look so good from Ace's view, and he can't stand seeing his brother suffer anymore.

With another quick examination over Luffy's arm, he just finds the burns. To Luffy's relief, Ace seems to think he's solved the root of the problem. He discretely pulls his cloak further over himself, hoping to hide everything underneath.

Ace is about to pull away and call for a nurse, but when he sees Luffy fiddle with his cloak, he senses the seastone is not the only thing wrong with his little brother.

He kneels back down and tries to pull back the cloak to look over Luffy's body, but the straw hat teen pulls away. Luffy swallows the rising panic in his stomach.

Ace raises an eyebrow at him and reaches out again, but Luffy shifts out of the way. They have an intense stare-down for a few seconds, then Ace springs toward him.

The struggle doesn't last long, Luffy is only using one hand and Ace is way stronger than him. Finally Ace grabs ahold of Luffy's arm and tries to pry it away from his cloak.

"What are you hiding?" Ace grits, actually having a little difficulty trying to move the limb out of the way. Luffy doesn't say anything, but just tries with all his might to keep Ace from seeing.

A heating pulse from the sun has Luffy faltering, and in that moment, Ace rips past his defences.

They still. It feels like Luffy's underwater and everything is in slow motion. Ace is just _sitting there_ with his eyes fixed solely on his missing arm. Seeing his brother's reaction, he feels like he's losing his arm all over again.

Ace thinks Luffy's weak, he knows it.

A bead of sweat rolls down Luffy's face and he doesn't feel so good.

"Oh my god." Izou whispers, hands coming up to his mouth.

Ace still hasn't said anything yet, scaring Luffy to no end. Eventually, his brother reaches an arm out slowly for his wound.

Luffy holds in a hiss of pain as Ace touches the delicate skin, mouth agape in horror.

His gaze flicks desperately up to Luffy, as if to ask if this is some kind of _sick joke._ But Luffy looks solemnly at the ground and away from his brother.

"No..." It's almost inaudible, but Luffy can hear the whisper from Ace's mouth.

With much difficulty, Ace turns his attention from the stump to the bunch of bones that is his brother's torso. Now that the cloak is gone, Ace can see the clear signs of malnutrition on Luffy's body. It becomes more apparent when Ace lifts up his shirt to get a better look.

"Shit!" Thatch curses out loud. That kid is damn starved and Thatch had tried to serve him a full meal. He would have puked it up before he even got through a quarter of it.

 _'I almost hurt Ace's brother!'_

Since everyone is fixated on the figure under the cloak, they don't notice how Luffy's eyes start to flutter and roll upwards.

 _'...I can't...it hurts...'_ His focus slips and Luffy struggles to keep it in line. But the sun is too intense, the pain in his arm is too much, Ace's silence is too much and everything is just _too much._

Whitebeard stands abruptly from his throne and shouts something that sounds like a warning.

But Luffy doesn't hear it, he's too busy falling into the comforting darkness of unconsciousness.

 **Line here**

Ace's eyes grow impossibly wide as Luffy falls into his arms, unmoving.

The word floats around in his head as he kneels, paralyzed by shock.

"Someone get the nurses!" Marco yells. The crew breaks up and scrambles around deck, shouting for doctors and gathering equipment.

"Ace!"

He doesn't say anything. His mind forces him to stare and _stare_ at the figure in his arms.

Luffy lost his arm. Someone did that to his little brother. Someone _touched_ him, someone _hurt_ him.

And now he's being removed from Ace's arms. He watches numbly as the nurses carry Luffy off to the infirmary.

"Ace?! Can you hear me?!" Marco shouts at him.

The fire user stands up slowly, his eyes shadowed by his hat. He bites his lip and his arms shake.

"Ace?"

Burning with rage, he sprints off the deck to an isolated part of the ship. As soon as he gets into the hallway, he punches the nearest wall and splits the wood.

 _'Damn it!'_

Ace brings fire to his feet and swings around to cause more destruction. Smoke and dust hover around him.

 _'I shouldn't have left!'_

He punches harder and harder, everything starts to blur around him.

 _'I'm so weak!'_

It's unforgivable. _They_ are unforgivable. _Ace_ is unforgivable.

Something slams into his side and pins him against the crispy wall. Ace struggles in the iron grip trying to break free.

"Ace! Stop-yoi!"

Another hard shove makes Ace's struggling gradually cease. He's left a panting mess, a frown still deep on his features.

Marco's grip on his shoulders is still as hard as before. Smoke and the distant cracking of fire are the only noise in the hallway.

"Ace." Marco prompts. "Oi." He drops his head to catch Ace's eyes that are directed to the floor, but Ace turns away. "Don't do this Ace."

"...do what?" Ace mumbles.

"Try to close me off-yoi. Ace, destroying the ship and giving me more paper work is not going to make this situation any better." Ace doesn't react to Marco's attempt to lighten the mood.

"Why did I let this happen to him?"

Marco stares at his best friend, then sighs and lets go of his shoulders. Ace slumps a little, but remains on his feet.

"Idiot. This was out of your control, stop blaming yourself."

"But it _wasn't_ out of my control Marco! I could have sent a letter to him, I could have visited...I could have just stayed home!" His head snaps to the side. Marco's hand is raised, red.

"Don't you dare say that Ace. Do you regret having an adventure? Meeting us? Meeting me?"

"No...but Luffy..."

"What happened happened Ace. I saw the kid before he got on this ship, and he looked like the coldest son of a bitch I ever met." Marco's hands settle on Ace's shoulders again, this time gently. "Ace, he doesn't trust as much anymore. He came all this way just to see you and get help-yoi. Don't bury yourself in self regret instead of helping your wounded brother."

Ace flinches a little, pain pinching his heart. He's suddenly overcome with a need to see Luffy's bright grin.

"I need to go to Luffy." He says, face grim in the lowlight. Marco smirks, then leads him away with a hand on his back.

 **Line here**

Luffy wakes up to banging.

"Oh good your awake."

A crowd of nurses place him on a white cot. The light isn't as intense as outside, so Luffy's headache isn't as bad.

"What...what happened?" Luffy asks them. They begin to remove his cloak.

"You fainted on deck." Anna says, stepping into view. Luffy watches longingly as they place his treasured hat to the side. "And with good reason too. You're the definition of sour health." She looks angry for some reason, but Luffy doesn't ask why.

The noise of boards breaking makes Luffy flinch. Sounds of the crew shouting fills the silence until another set of crashes overwhelms them.

"What's happening?" Luffy asks Anna innocently. She doesn't say anything, and keeps her mouth in a firm line as she examines his arm. He cringes as the nurses sit him up to get a better look at his injuries.

The breaking sound stops, and Luffy watches the door for his brother to reappear.

First he sees pineapple-head at the entrance. They meet eyes for a second before Ace comes in and sits down numbly beside his brother. Marco lingers for a moment, then leaves them to the nurses.

Ace doesn't meet his gaze, but Luffy keeps staring at him as the nurses check over his body.

 _'I feel like such a horrible big brother.'_ Ace broods, looking at Luffy's stump. He doesn't know what scares him more; seeing what's there, or _not_ seeing what's there. ' _As soon as I leave, the whole village falls apart and Luffy loses his arm for Oda-sakes.'_

Luffy has gone through so much suffering and yet he persevered to find him.

The nurses start removing the stitches from Luffy's arm. He sucks in a breath as the red and itchy skin is irritated even further.

"This probably hurts a little doesn't it? You have an infection here and I need to apply new stitches and clean it." Anna says, gathering her tools together. "You probably haven't had them changed at all, am I right?"

Luffy doesn't answer, and keeps his gaze trained on Ace's black locks as his anxiety builds. Anna mutters something under her breath then gets to work on it.

Two more nurses get to work on the seastone bracelet on Luffy's wrist. With silent efficiency, they produce a small saw and stick it in the key hole.

Ace watches with blank emotion as they attempt to saw through the cuff. The nurse makes a sound of satisfaction when the saw stops. The other fiddles around with it and the cuff finally pops off Luffy's wrist.

 _'Mmmmm...'_ Luffy sighs and visibly sags, the energy feels like magic thrumming through his veins. His pale skin brightens up immediately and the sickness fades to a dull irritation.

Luffy sits with eyes closed and a content smile as the nurses finish fussing with him. Anna flicks her eyes up to his face, then stifles a chuckle when she returns to her task.

"Alright then," Anna stands up and wipes the sweat from her brow. "You don't make it easy kid, but we've finished." Luffy watches the nurses put away equipment into different drawers. "All you need to do is rest, eat a semi decent meal, and not be disturbed." She eyes Ace still silently slouched in his chair. "Got it?"

Luffy nods enthusiastically. "Thank you Ama!"

"It's Anna!" She shouts, a tick mark appearing on her head. She gathers her nurses and they head out the door, likely reporting to their captain.

Luffy watches Anna until she is gone. Something is still bothering her, he can feel it.

He pouts, then remembers the other person in the room. Silence presses into them as Luffy grips the bed sheets. He works his jaw up and down, tension building in his shoulders.

"Ace I-"

 _'I'm sorry for being weak!'_

"I'm-" His words are muffled as he's pulled into Ace's chest. The embrace is so tight and he almost pulls away in surprise, but suddenly he feels his brother's frame shake as sobs rack his body.

 _"I'm sorry!"_ Ace blubbers. _"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Luffy!"_ His arms curl protectively around his light, his sunshine.

If anyone outside hears Ace cry, he doesn't care.

Luffy lifts his head out of Ace's chest to see him. His eyes water looking at Ace's tear sodden face. Luffy instantly feels guilty for doubting his brother even a second.

"Ace, it's just an arm. Besides," Tears slip down Luffy's face, falling down to his shaky smile. "I look just like Shanks."

 **Line here**

The soft pitter of waves against wood pulls Luffy into awareness.

 _'Ngh, am I there yet?'_ He wonders dazedly. The next island shouldn't take that long to get to.

A firm squeeze on his hand brings it all back. Luffy opens his eyes and immediately recognizes the Moby Dick infirmary.

 _'Right, I found the Whitebeard Pirates.'_ A soft gasp escapes his lips and he turns his head sharply to the side.

Tears of relief form in Luffy's eyes as he gazes at Ace's sleeping face. The fire-user's upper half is laying on he bed while his lower is still sitting on a chair. Drool pools out of his mouth and wets the bed sheets being crushed by his cheek. One arm is extended out and is holding Luffy's hand in a loving grip.

Luffy struggles to sit up in bed without rousing Ace. Luckily, he only grumbles and holds Luffy's hand tighter.

Luffy chuckles, Ace's narcolepsy is so funny!

"You look better already."

Anna walks into the infirmary, accompanied by Marco, Izou and Thatch, whom is holding a steaming bowl.

"Mmhm." Luffy nods. "I feel ten times better than yesterday!"

"That's good to hear. The sea stone was putting a serious damper on your healing process. But, considering the fact that you have two infections; one on your former arm, and one on your leg, serious malnutrition, a bad fever and a bad burn on your hand, you have healed considerably well. You should be able to make a full recovery in about a week." Anna says, shifting her glasses on her nose. Luffy blinks at her.

"You're mad at me." It isn't a question. Anna raises a thin eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Is it because I lied?" He asks, face completely neutral.

"Luffy," she starts, removing her glasses. "I asked you to tell me if you had anymore injuries. It's my job as a doctor to make sure everyone on this ship is healthy. So when you hid all these wounds...it just made me upset Luffy. I'm not mad."

"I'm sorry." He bows from his sitting position. "OW!" Luffy rubs the newly formed bump on his head.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still annoyed. Thatch, make sure he eats that entire bowl. _Slowly._ Last thing we want is him throwing up everywhere." She places her glasses delicately back on her nose and turns back to Luffy."If you're anything like the one asleep on the bed right now, I implore you _not_ to exert yourself."

Anna struts out of the room with her nose high in the air.

A wisp of her hair slaps Thatch on the nose and he crinkles it, barely containing a sneeze.

"Anna sure is good at her job." Izou comments once she is gone.

"Her attitude could use a little help." Thatch mutters, rubbing his itchy nose. "Anyway, here's a nice _small_ meal for you."

Thatch swings a tray around so that it is hovering above Luffy's lap. He delicately places the steaming soup on top with a spoon at the side.

"Ohhhh thank you so much big hair guy!" Luffy exclaims gleefully, carefully pulling his hand out of Ace's grip so he can attack the meal.

"It's Thatch." He corrects, but it goes unheard by the teen. "You should eat that slowly, or you're going to-and you finished already." Luffy licks his lips and sighs in content.

"Delicious!" A gurgling fills the air and Luffy's complexion turns a little green. "I feel sick."

"I just told you not to eat it so fast!" Thatch yells. After a collective moment, he sighs and looks at the ground guiltily. "Look, I'm sorry I tried to give you that meal earlier. I should've known what state you were in sooner."

"Nuh-uh. You shouldn't be sorry for giving me food! Food is great! It's my stupid tummy's fault for making me sick." Luffy pouts at his stomach and pokes it as if dealing a punishment.

"Still, why didn't you say you were hurt earlier? We could've helped you." Says Izou, frowning. He feels bad for thinking ill of the kid earlier.

Luffy pushes the tray off his lap then slides his hand back into Ace's. Thatch and Izou smile softly at the show of affection.

"Because you lied! You said Ace was on the ship, but he wasn't! So I got mad." Luffy looks down at his bed sheets. "And I didn't want Ace to know. I was afraid he'd think I'm weak."

"Think you're weak? You're just a kid and yet you went through so much, not to mention with one arm and sea stone, just to find your brother instead of running away. I don't know how he could ever think you're the tiniest bit weak." Thatch says sternly, mad that the kid hid his suffering for such a delusion. Luffy shrugs.

"Ace always calls me weak, I just didn't want anyone else to turn their back on me and the village back home."

"Oi I'm sure that Ace doesn't call you weak in a mean way. He's probably just worried about you." Izou says. They feel the same way about Ace since he's their youngest. On several instances have they felt worry when he'd go on a mission alone or took on a whole enemy pirate ship by himself. He's just so reckless that it drives them all up the wall sometimes.

Marco has remained silent this entire time, observing Luffy quietly with his arms crossed and back up against the wall. His gaze flicks down to the drooling flame user. Marco watches how his face would scrunch up, then relax when he squeezes his brother's hand tighter.

"Earlier," Marco starts, gaining everybody's attention. ",on the island, you said you couldn't trust anybody-yoi. I hadn't thought much of it then, but I heard you say you'll only trust one person."

"I meant Ace." Luffy says, now touching his brother's hair. He somewhat still can't believe Ace is here with him.

"I'm sorry we didn't take you with us then. It would've saved a lot of unnecessary inconveniences." Luffy rolls his eyes.

"Enough with the sorry's! It already happened so stop going on about it. Apologizing won't do anything at all."

Marco blinks at him through lazy eyes, then exhales with a smirk.

"Yes, I guess you're right-yoi." He likes the Luffy of the 'now', more than the 'then'. "But I have one more question. Why did you bother hiding who you were this whole time? I mean, you knew we wouldn't harm you. So why didn't you show us who you were while you were on the ship?"

All the commanders turn to the kid, all immensely curious at what his answer will be.

"Huh? I wasn't hiding who I was. I told you my name didn't I?" Luffy replies, head tilting in confusion. The commanders exchange looks, also confused.

"Well yeah, but you kept your hood over your face the entire time. We couldn't recognize you from before." Izou points out.

"That's because my head was hurting from the sun. It made me sick so I kept my hood up!" He smiles, for some reason proud of himself.

"But why didn't you just _tell_ us?" Thatch asks, gesturing his hands out. Luffy blinks at them owlishly.

"Because you never asked."

...

"Oh."

Izou sucks in his cheeks and looks at the ceiling. Thatch rubs his nose sheepishly while grinning like an idiot. Even the normally composed Marco is flustered, looking to the side with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

 _'How did we not think of that?'_ He inwardly scowls. _'We were tip toeing around him like idiots.'_

Thatch coughs to ease the tension. "Hm, anyway, pops wants to meet up with you later to discuss some...things."

"Things?" Luffy asks.

"Well, we don't exactly know yet." Thatch chuckles nervously. "But I'm sure you'll be fine. Pops is pretty forgiving when he wants to be." Luffy nods.

"Thank you so much for taking me here!" He bows deeply, remembering Makino's manner lessons. A hand pats his unruly black hair.

"No problem kid." Marco says as Thatch and Izou walk out of the infirmary. He follows them soon after with a smile on his face. Marco likes how much happier Luffy is.

Luffy watches the commanders leave with a lingering smile. He has almost reached his goal.

"Mmm..." The groan reverberates around the room and Luffy looks down at Ace with amusement.

Ace's obsidian eyes flutter open to crumpled white sheets. He grumbles in distaste when he feels how sticky his face is.

 _'Why do I always drool when I have narcoleptic attacks?'_ Ace lifts his head off the wet spot on the bed and wipes his face vigorously.

"Shishishi!" The chuckle snaps Ace's mind back into focus. He looks at his 'real' and 'not a dream' brother. "You're so funny when you sleep Ace!"

For some reason Ace can't bring himself to laugh along. "How are you Luffy? Are you feeling okay?"

"I feel a million times better! Alla is a great doctor!" He waves Ace's concern away with a chuckle. "Do you think she'll join my crew? Oh wait! I wanted Alice to join! But she doesn't want to. Hmm..."

Ace sweat drops. _'I think he means Anna. But who's this Alice person?'_ He shakes his head to clear the confusion.

"Why didn't they check your injuries earlier? If Anna had seen your state sooner she would've dragged you over to the infirmary first thing." Suddenly the bed sheet seems very interesting to Luffy.

"I hid them from her. If she knew, then she would have told you about them."

"And why wouldn't you want me to know?" Luffy's head bows even further.

"Because I didn't want you to think I was weak. I-I couldn't afford to have you leave me so I pretended to be okay." Ace frowns and grips the bed sheets in his fists.

"You are such an _idiot._ " He spits. "I am your _brother._ You're supposed to be weak, and it's my job as the older one to protect you. Not turn you away because you couldn't do something for yourself." Ace reaches forward and grips Luffy's shoulders. "Please don't ever feel that way again."

Luffy's lower lip trembles and he nods vigorously. He leans his head into Ace's shoulder in a comforting matter.

"Thanks Ace." He mumbles into his brother's shoulder. Ace smiles and copies the gesture. They stay merely basking in each other's presence.

"So," Ace lets up off of Luffy's shoulder to look at him seriously. "How did you escape Foosha Village?" Luffy sighs tiredly.

"We all tried to escape, but an Admiral named Akana, no...Akainu! Yeah, Akainu had magma powers and he captured everyone but me. I managed to escape, but not without losing this*." Luffy nods to his missing arm. Ace scowls and adds one more person to his 'beat the shit out of' list.

"Did they get Makino? And the bandits?" Luffy nods, a sad look drooping his features.

"I miss them Ace. Even the bandits."

"I'm sorry Luffy." Ace sighs guiltily.

"Why are you apologizing?! I found you didn't I?" Luffy yells, annoyance evident in his voice. "I can't waste anymore time! I've got to save everyone soon!"

Ace blinks at his outburst, then snickers. "You really are an idiot." He stands up and grabs Luffy's straw hat on the table, then shoves it on his brother's head. " _We_ dumbass. Not _I_. You came here for my help, didn't you?"

 **Line here**

Despite Luffy's urgency to get going, he had been restricted to bed rest after he fell on his face after trying to sneak out of the infirmary. The nurses had found him a shivering mass on the floor and after a quick reprimand from Anna and Ace, he was forced to comply to their demands.

Marco had informed Luffy that they were sailing in the direction of the East Blue full speed. Luffy had felt his spirits lighten up a little at the news, but he still felt something nagging at the back of his head that would only clear up if he talked to their captain.

Due to his little episode, Anna told everyone on board that Luffy was not to have any visitors, only with the rare exception of Ace. Anna claimed that they would only crowd him and bombard him with questions.

However, it became apparent that three commanders in specific still had things to ask and they often tried to sneak in, only to be beaten and thrown out again.

The straw hat teen had pouted at the thought of being left alone for the entire day, but Ace assured him he would be there most of the time. Luffy had endured the long days of recovery until he was nursed back to health.

So here Luffy is, emerging from the infirmary for the first time in days with his hat planted firmly on his head to prevent any migraines.

"I'm finally letting you out of bed, so don't make me regret it by making yourself worse again." Says Anna, fiddling with his bandages last minute and straightening his clothes. Kind of like a mom.

"Shishishi I won't! I just gotta talk to Banana Moustache-Ossan." Luffy giggles as she squeezes his nose playfully.

"Exactly, so that's why you've got to look in tip top shape."

"But I see Pops all the time, and I've never bothered with my appearance." Ace objects. Anna eyes his orange cowboy hat and shirtless ensemble.

"That's because you'd look odd wearing anything else. Besides, you'd burn anything else way too easily." She finishes tying the ribbon on Luffy's cloak and pulls it tight. "This guy, on the other hand, has caused a lot of trouble. Pops is doing him a favour so he should at least look presentable."

"Favour?" Ace snorts. "He's my brother, of course he'd let him stay on the ship!" Anna stands up and looks at Ace seriously.

"That may be so, but the crew is still pretty angry with the little guy. It wasn't a small thing he did." Ace swallows and draws his lips in a firm line. Luffy watches them with a frown, then sets his shoulders back.

"Let's go." He's pretty much talking to himself, but Ace follows him as he walks in Whitebeard's direction.

"Good luck!" Anna shouts behind him. Luffy smiles a bit, but it soon melts into a frown when he comes upon the man who controls the fate of the village, and himself.

Their gazes meet instantly and forcefully, neither showing an ounce of weakness. Brooms drop and laughing stops as all activity on deck gradually slows to a halt. The crew watches attentively from their posts with different expressions of curiosity.

The commanders slowly make their way to the main deck, wondering about the sudden quietness. When they catch a glimpse of Luffy for the first time in days, they inch closer to their captain.

The silence stretches out as future Pirate King and strongest man in the world clash in a battle of wills.

Eyes widen as Luffy suddenly bows deeply.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble!" He yells, making sure his words are heard by everyone on the ship.

"You admit to being the brat who destroyed our flags?" Whitebeard questions. Luffy nods, still bowing. Ace eyes his brother and captain nervously.

"Yes it was me." He stands up and meets the gaze of each crew member. To their surprise, he goes down on his knees and bows with his head to the ground. "I'm sorry everyone for putting your friends in danger! Flags are a symbol of pride for a pirate and I just defiled it without care. I hope you all can find some way to forgive me!"

"Oi, Luffy..." Ace leans toward his brother. "you don't have to-"

"But!" Luffy interrupts. He lifts his head to look Whitebeard directly in the eye. "I don't regret it. I needed to find Ace, and if I went back in time, I'd do the exact same thing."

Whitebeard watches the boy with a calculating look. He can feel something in him that he also senses in Ace. Making a decision, he thumps the bottom of his staff on the wooden deck. The air vibrates and Luffy wobbles from his spot on the ground, falling to the side with wide eyes.

"Gurararara! Brat, that's all I wanted to hear. I accept your apology on behalf of the crew and myself." Luffy's eyes widen even further.

"The crew too?" Luffy asks, looking around at everyone hopefully. One of the men steps forward and snorts.

"Yeah kid. Do you really think we would still be sailing towards the East Blue if we thought otherwise?" Several other men laugh in agreement.

"Plus we couldn't just ignore all that you said happened to your island." Someone else says. Then they all start to laugh, and Ace pats Luffy's shoulder.

"See? Nothing to worry about little brother." Luffy smiles brightly up at Ace and starts laughing himself.

"Although," Luffy gazes up at Whitebeard, significantly more relaxed than before. "why didn't you just talk to one of our allied pirate crews? You surely would have met up with at least one on your travels."

"They ignored me cause I was a kid." Luffy huffs. "No one would listen to me!"

Ace snickers and pushes down on Luffy's large hat, causing the younger to cry out in protest. He can feel Anna's glare scorching the back of his neck but ignores it.

"I sorta don't blame them, you're too immature to take seriously." Luffy whines and re-adjusts his hat. "But I've been wondering this for awhile. If the Celestial Dragons fricking took over a whole island, why haven't we heard a lick of it?"

"That's just who they are. They probably didn't think it was even worth talking about. The marines like to keep this stuff under wraps too 'cause it makes them look bad." The fishman commander, Namur, informs them. Luffy walks up to Whitebeard until he is right in front of his feet.

"Ossan, I can't do this by myself." His eyes shine with determination. "So will you please help me free Foosha Village?"

Everyone laughs with Whitebeard's the loudest by far.

"I thought we already established this brat? Of course we will! You're forgetting that Ace is part of our family, and we don't let anything bad happen to one of our own." The crew cheers in unison. Ace steps next to his brother with a relieved smile.

"Thanks Pops. This means a lot." He blushes and bows. Whitebeard smiles and waves his hand dismissively.

"It's no problem at all brat. Anything for my sons and daughters." Whitebeard knows how much Ace hates being dependant. He's glad he has gained the sense to not rush in recklessly by himself without asking for help. He doesn't want to think of what would've happened if Ace and Luffy left to handle the situation themselves.

Luffy can't seem to stop grinning. Finding Ace gave him more than what he had expected. One by one the crew comes up to greet him and apologize for being hostile when he first came on deck. Then everyone goes off on their own, and the atmosphere is natural as if nothing ever happened.

"It's impressive you came up with that plan by yourself-yoi." Marco smacks Luffy's back, making him stumble forwards. Ace laughs and tackles Luffy in a hug from behind.

"Yeah impressive...considering how thick-headed you are." Luffy struggles in his brother's grip.

"Baka! I'm not thick-headed!" He kicks Ace's shin and he lets go with a howl of pain.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Ace pounces on Luffy and they fall down on the deck, wrestling.

 _'They're practically the same.'_ Marco sweat drops. Thatch and Izou appear next to Marco, laughing.

"Haha! Ace you're getting beat by a kid!" Thatch mocks. Ace pauses in his ministrations and glares at the chef.

"What was that?!" He growls, pressing a hand on Luffy's face while he flails like a fish under Ace's body weight.

"ACE! WHAT DID I TELL YOU AND LUFFY ABOUT TAKING IT EASY?!"

A chill runs through everyone's spine as the devil herself appears. Ace stutters something incoherent and scrambles off of Luffy.

"Wha-what are you talking about Anna?" Ace straightens out Luffy's clothes and hat while sporting a serene smile. "He's perfectly fine! Right Lu?"

Luffy starts to sweat when Anna's beady gaze lands on him. He shifts his gaze to the side and puckers his lips.

"Y-yeah! Ace and I totally weren't wrestling or anything!" Ace feels like face-palming. He had forgotten about Luffy's inability to lie.

"Is that so?" Anna rips Luffy's cloak aside to see his bandages all tangled around his torso and hanging limply off his hand. "As I thought. SIT STILL WHILE I TRY NOT TO KILL YOU."

Luffy cries out in terror when she grabs his shirt collar and drags him to the ground. She begins to reapply the bandages while muttering something about _'idiots everywhere she looks.'_ And _'why am I even here?_ ' Once and awhile she'd yank hard enough to make Luffy cry out but then she'd reprimand him for squirming.

"She's a force of nature." Thatch whispers to the trio. They all nod vigorously. Anna draws another whine out of the teen when she pulls particularity hard on a piece of bandage.

"Hey Ace, did you know your brother has a good singing voice?" Izou asks. Ace turns to him with a baffled expression.

"Yeah, but how do you know that?"

"We heard him singing at a restaurant." Thatch claps his hands together and sighs dreamily. "It was great! He sounded like an angel!"

"Luffy sang in front of a crowd? _On stage?_ "Ace splutters then laughs mockingly. "Oi Luffy! You sang in a restaurant?!"

"Shut up!" Luffy snaps with a light blush adorning his cheeks.

"Stop moving!" Anna pulls on a bandage and Luffy cries out indignantly. "But do you really sing?" Luffy mutters a little ' _maybe'_ to the floor and ignores them.

"Aw don't be like that Lu. I was just joking!" Ace plops next to his brother and pinches his cheeks. "I'm proud of you. Soon, we'll be back at Foosha island to deal with those damn marines and show 'em what we've got." He lets go of Luffy's face and holds out a fist.

Anna finishes tying his bandages and Luffy connects his fist with Ace's while grinning like a maniac.

"I hope you're ready to take them on. But maybe you've been slacking off in your training..." Ace teases, nudging Luffy's side with his elbow.

"No way!" Luffy protests. "I'll show you just how hard I've been training and beat you!" Ace snorts and pulls on Luffy's cheek and it stretches and stretches and stretches...

Wait.

All three commanders including Anna stare blankly as Ace releases the skin and it comes back to smack Luffy in the face.

"Beat me? Dream on!" Ace sneers. Then he jumps off to another part of the deck to escape his brother's wrath.

"I'll make you see! Come back here and fight me!" Luffy bounds up and chases his brother to where he disappeared.

The remaining pirates with the exception of Marco watch Luffy leave with their mouthes hitting the ground. Anna blinks a few times then snaps out of her stupor.

"Wait! DO NOT AGGRAVATE YOUR WOUNDS! LUFFY!" She runs after the duo with a fist raised in the air.

"Luffy! What was that I just saw? Hold on!" Izou follows close after, immensely curious about the teen.

Marco and Thatch watch them run through the crew who are trying their best to get out of their way. The phoenix looks over to his still gaping brother and closes his mouth with his index finger.

"Looks like we figured out what Luffy's devil fruit can do-yoi." Marco sighs.

"Holy crap! I wonder what the hell that was!" Thatch yells, clearly enthralled by Luffy's powers. "He probably kept that in for a long time, poor kid was probably so irritated."

Marco nods, silently agreeing. There is nothing worse than having your powers taken away by seastone. It takes away something so vital yet you can still feel it coursing through your veins, just a breath away from being let out. Like teasing a dog with a treat and never letting him have it.

"Good thing he found us!" Thatch continues, running a comb through his pompadour. "I'm glad that he and Ace are so close. It was probably difficult, searching for his brother when he had no idea where he was."

Marco stares past Thatch, to where Ace and Luffy are battling despite Anna's warnings.

"No, Thatch. He wasn't just searching for his brother." Thatch cocks his head to the side. Marco smiles and turns back to his confused brother.

"He was searching for his saviour."

 **Line here**

"Pops! Pops!"

The lookout scrambles down from the crow's nest, telescope in hand.

"What is it Calvin?" Whitebeard asks, chugging down some sake.

"The Red Force is approaching!"

Whitebeard pauses in his drinking.

"What is that red-haired brat doing in the East Blue?"

 **Line Break**

 _That's right, I decided to add Shanks in here after so many requests. I have a little more sorting to do to make him a large part of the next chapter, but I'm determined to do it!_

 **BIG THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO FAVED, FOLLOWED AND REVIEWED!**

 **REPLIES TO REVIEWS:**

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 **22: Here y'all go!**

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 **LoganAlexander: I warned you everyone at the beginning of the story, there was gonna be some changes that didn't happen in cannon in this story (and that includes when Ace joined the Whitebeard Pirates). As for Garp, if you have a problem how he acted in the original series, take it up with Oda, not me. Lastly, If you read this story until the end, I'm actually giving Garp a chance to redeem himself.**

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 _I do not complain about reviews, honestly who would? But if you leave one that just say 'please update' or something like that it's like, I know I have to update. It's alright if you put a little input on the story along with it, but please don't just put a request for me to update. A review means an opinion on the story, and that is what should be seen._

 _Thank you!_

 _Next time; Revenge is a dish best served 'hot'._

 _~a lot sooner than this chapter_


	7. Final Chapter

**CHAPTER 7**

 **LAST CHAPTER**

 **Okay I posted last chapter and went to bed, then woke up with 61 FRICKING NOTIFICATIONS. I ALMOST FELL OFF MY BED!**

 **Thank you all for the outstanding support in this story! I never expected it would be this popular, but you guys made it all possible! THANK YOU!**

 **(09 07 16) I was rushing out of the house when I posted this (hiding in the bathroom so I wouldn't be yelled at…haha), so now replies are posted at the bottom!**

 **Yeah this wasn't going to have Shanks at all, but here he is for y'all!**

 **DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE.**

"What is that red-haired brat doing in the East Blue?" Whitebeard asks himself. He takes another swig of sake and swishes it around in his mouth for a moment. "Calvin, do they look like they want to fight?"

"No..." Calvin mumbles, extending his telescope. "There isn't anything that's indicating a challenge on their part."

Whitebeard swallows and frowns. The sunlight beats down on his large head and he squints in mild discomfort.

"Alright then. Let's see what the brat wants." Out of the corner of his eye, Whitebeard sees Marco emerging from his cabin. The first division commander looks weary, and he rolls his stiff shoulders as he walks towards his captain.

"Is there something up-yoi? I heard a bit of commotion." Marco says. He cracks his neck and tension falls from his body.

"Been busy my son?" Whitebeard asks.

"Just a lot of paperwork this time. Ace completely wrecked the hallway leading to the 2nd division bunks."

"That's my fiery son." Whitebeard chuckles. "Have you seen our guest around lately?" Marco shakes his head.

"I haven't, Luffy could literally be anywhere on this ship. It's been less than twenty-four hours and he's already made himself at home here." He shakes his head and furrows his eyebrows. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question-yoi. Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing at the moment, but we may have another visitor on board."

Marco makes a confused sound then turns to look where his captain was previously looking. Realization sets in and the phoenix groans, while Whitebeard laughs at his misery.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

"Whitebeard!"

The Red Force glides along the glassy blue waters next to the Moby Dick. A man dressed in a black cloak and floral pants jumps onto the deck. His signature crazy red hair sparks recognition for anyone who sees.

"Shanks..." Marco grumbles, crossing his arms almost defensively.

As soon as Shanks lands on the wooden deck, energy waves ripple through the air and lots of the crew tumbles over, unconscious.

"You brat! I told you to stop doing that!" Whitebeard booms. His friendly personality slides into an edgier one.

"Oops sorry," Shanks chuckles, obviously the most easygoing among the group. "Sometimes I just can't help it."

"What are you doing here? If the marines see us together in the east blue, they are going to get on my ass for it."

Shanks smiles and pats the dust from his pant legs. He places a nonchalant hand on his sword and walks up to Whitebeard with small, easy strides.

"I was going to ask you the same question. Some nuisance group of pirates was provoking my crew who came here on a sake run. So, I came here to deal with them myself." Shanks snickers. "Although they were hardly worth the challenge. It only felt worth it when I scared them to death! HAHAHAHA!"

"Why did you come on my ship brat?" Whitebeard asks. Ever since the younger brat came on his ship, he can't help but feel a little weary of others. Shanks places his sole arm over his heart and reels back over-dramatically.

"What? Am I not allowed to visit my fellow Yonko? I'm hurt Newgate, we don't get to talk often. Besides, I decided to give you some of the sake I just acquired. C'mon, I know how much you love sake..." Despite how relaxed Shanks looks; Whitebeard can see his crew on the Red Force staring at him with their hands on their weapons. His own crew is no different, they are both waiting for a fight to break out.

After a moment of inner deliberation, Whitebeard gestures to the grinning captain.

"Alright brat, bring it over and sit down." Shanks grins even wider and makes a beckoning gesture to his crew. Several of his crew mates roll barrels to the edge of the ship and lower it down with ropes. All together there are 6 large barrels full of untouched sake.

"Marco," Whitebeard addresses. "Crack open a barrel would you?" Marco nods and obediently opens one. The sweet smell immediately assaults his nose as he tosses the top of the barrel away. He picks the barrel up with ease and places it in front of his captain.

"Thank you my son." Whitebeard pours some of the sake in his large sake cup then takes a sip. He swallows then makes a hum of approval. "Not bad brat. Not bad."

Shanks chuckles then pulls out his own bottle of sake. He takes a swig and some of the liquid escapes down his bobbing throat.

"That stuffs great! Hey Marco! Join my crew!" Marco cringes.

"No."

"Aw come on! Well, it was worth a shot anyway! HAHAHA!" Shanks laughs then takes another few gulps of his drink. "So..."

Shanks leans forward and taps the sake bottle on his lips thoughtfully. His eyes narrow and his eyebrow raises. On the Red Force, the crew shuffles and someone cocks a gun.

"What are you doing in the East Blue Whitebeard?" Shanks's face looks mischievous, but his tone holds suspicion. Whitebeard scrutinizes the young captain. He seems oddly defensive.

"I don't know why I should be answering any questions you have brat, you're many years too young to demand things from me. "

"I'm not making any demands!" Shanks chuckles, waving his bottle defensively. "Just making conversation is all."

Some scuffling is heard in Marco's peripheral, but he ignores it in favour of the tension leaking all over the main deck.

"But, I _am_ really curious why you would bother coming over to the weakest Blue..."

"We all have our reasons." Whitebeard says, dodging the question. The scuffling gets louder and this time Marco looks over his shoulder. "And I'm no different, just taking a stroll."

"Oi..." Marco starts, realizing who is coming with growing dread.

"Stroll? Please! Is there something you're after?" More guns click on the Red Force causing the same to happen on the Moby Dick.

"You're never this straightforward brat. Is there something in the East Blue I should be aware of?" Whitebeard asks, frowning. Shanks has lost all amusement and he stares at Whitebeard darkly.

"Nothing you should concern yourself with." The smile is chilling and some of the crew swallows nervously. Marco can hear the stomping and distinct sound of Ace yelling clearly now. He starts running to the stairs in an effort to stop the boys before they make an appearance.

"Are you telling me to leave?" Whitebeard asks, aware of where Marco has gone.

"No... just letting you know that there is nothing here. Where has your first commander gone hm?"

"Boy you're prying a little too much on a ship that isn't even yours." Marco is almost to the stairs, then Whitebeard won't have to keep up this empty chatter anymore.

 _'Stay down there!'_ Marco wants to shout. But just as he reaches the stairs, a blur of red and black bursts out and almost tackles him to the ground.

"Marco! Stop Ace! He's trying to kill me!" Luffy latches onto the commander's shoulders like a monkey. Marco totters at the weight and grabs Luffy when he accidentally almost falls off.

"Get back here you idiot! I told you to stop sticking things in my ears while I'm asleep!" Ace stomps up the stairs with the rage of a thousand bulls.

"AHH!" Luffy screams then jumps off Marco's shoulders.

"Wait! Luffy! Don't run in that way-yoi!" Marco tries to reach for him, but Luffy slips through his grip and runs straight in the direction of the meeting. "Shit!"

"Shishishi! Come get me now Ace!" Luffy sticks out his tongue at his brother in a taunting gesture. He's too busy looking back for Ace that he doesn't see the commotion where he is heading to.

Luffy lets out a cry of indignation when he crashes into something hard. The sound of glass breaking fills his ear drums and something wet partially splashes on his face.

The teen groans and sits up. The mystery liquid smells sweet and when he tastes it, he grimaces. It's disgusting!

"What's the big idea?!"

Luffy shoots a glare at whatever got in his way, just as the other does the same. In a moment, their faces light up and they gasp in surprise.

"Anchor?!"

"Shanks?!"

Both crews blink at them, then do a simultaneous: "EHHHHH?!"

Marco flips his arms exasperatedly. _'I shouldn't be surprised anymore. I'm done with this kid's secrets.'_ But then it clicks, why Luffy's hat annoys him so much. It's _Shanks's._

 _'Of course.'_

"Anchor, what the hell are you doing on Whitebeard's ship?!" Shanks demands, definitely not expecting _this._

"I can't talk to you!" Luffy yells immediately. He runs back to the safety of his brother. Luffy immediately dashes behind the flame-user and peeks at Shanks cautiously.

"Wha-why not?!"

Luffy shuffles further behind Ace and looks at the ground uncertainly.

"We promised. The next time we meet I was going to be a great pirate..." He trails off, swinging his foot while speaking to the ground.

"How about this time, it doesn't count?" Shanks suggests, wanting to see the boy. Obviously it doesn't take much convincing, as Luffy sprints back to Shanks and hugs him tight.

"Shanks!" Luffy yells with glee. Shanks laughs and swings the boy around. The thick atmosphere immediately eases and everyone watches the pair with mixed curiosity and awe.

Marco feels the air around him grow hotter and he looks beside him to see Ace, who is sporting a _major_ unimpressed look.

"Luffy, what are you doing here?" Shanks asks again as he sets the boy back on his feet.

"The Whitebeard pirates are helping me n' Ace take back Foosha Village!" He responds. Shanks frowns, a little lost.

"Why would you need to take back Foosha Village?" Shanks asks with growing dread.

"Because the stupid Celestial Dragon guy took everybody and is selling them as slaves. I escaped but I... I needed help so I came to get Ace."

Shanks grits his teeth and shoots a look over to Whitebeard. The old captain merely nods and Shanks knows that it's true.

"Are all the villagers...sold? How about Makino? Is she alright?" Luffy shakes his head and his face twists into an expression of anguish. "...I don't know. I left her behind when I ran away." Luffy looks dejectedly at the ground. "I couldn't even protect her. I guess I'm not ready to wear your treasure yet."

Shanks flicks his eyes over to his crew. He isn't surprised at all when he sees his own anger mirrored in them. His first mate, Ben Beckman, gives a small nod which Shanks returns. He has made a set decision.

"Anchor," Luffy looks up shyly from under the shade of the straw hat he wears. "I'm glad you escaped. I honestly don't know why the hell I haven't heard about this earlier. I'm sorry I haven't done anything to help at all."

Luffy opens his mouth to object but Shanks interrupts him.

"But I want to do something now. Luffy, I stand by my decision of giving you that hat. There's nothing wrong with needing a little help sometimes, so don't ever feel like you're unworthy of that hat ever again. Wear it with confidence in yourself."

Luffy's jaw works up and down while he tries to form words. But in the end, he seals his lips shut and stands up straight with tears at the corners of his eyes.

"Don't worry Shanks, I will."

Shanks grins and shoves the hat further on Luffy's head. "Who said I was worrying?" A softer smile forms on his lips. "But I'm going to help you take back Foosha along with old Newgate here."

Luffy giggles and Shanks hugs him tight. Marco shifts the collar on his shirt when the temperature rises again.

Whitebeard watches the two with interest. Obviously they have some sort of history with each other, and based on their interaction, it is a good one. He grins slyly when he realizes that Luffy may have been the 'thing' that Shanks was protecting from him.

Luffy breaks away from the hug when he spots the crew lined up along the railing of the Red Force. With a grand smile, he jogs up to them and waves enthusiastically.

"Hi Ben! Yasopp! Lucky Roo! Everyone!" The whole crew waves back and cheers their greetings with the exception of Ben, who merely smirks and raises a hand.

Shanks smiles at the cheerful teen, then notices Ace in the corner of his eye. He turns his head, about to say a greeting, but stops. Ace doesn't look the least bit happy. Shanks can almost see the dark cloud looming over his head.

"Hey Ace! What's up?" He calls out. Shanks was hoping to lighten his mood, but the boy just scowls at him. The red-haired captain looks over to Marco for help, only to be met with a shrug.

Ace doesn't know why he's being like this. For some reason when Shanks touches Luffy, he feels like punching the man out. But it's weird, he has never felt this protective before the Foosha incident happened.

 _'I just feel...really annoyed with him.'_ Ace's mouth twitches in distaste.

"C'mon Ace! Why are you distant all of a sudden? You were so much nicer when we met before! You even thanked me for saving Anchor!" Shanks reasons.

"Yeah, so?" Ace snorts, but he softens.

Only to stiffen when Luffy returns to Shanks's side.

"Everybody still looks exactly the same! Shishishi!" The teen laughs. Shanks notices Ace's odd behaviour. When realization sets in, Shanks smirks wickedly at the fire user. Ace's eyes narrow suspiciously.

' _Somebody's jealous~'_ Shanks hums in his head. A sudden urge to irk Ace takes over him. _'Let's see if he blows up like a firework.'_

"Oi Luffy," Said boy looks at Shanks expectantly with wide eyes. Ace watches them like a hawk about to swoop down on its prey. "If you give me a hug I'll give you an extra big piece of meat later."

"Deal." Luffy launches himself at Shanks and practically squeezes him to death. The captain's face turns from red to blue when the oxygen drains from his body.

"An..chor. Let...go..." He wheezes, slapping Luffy to get off.

"Oops. Sorry Shanks." Luffy releases him and the man gulps in the much needed air.

 _'Geez, kid's got a grip.'_ Shanks says mentally, coughing away. But it was _so_ worth it based on the look on Ace's face.

Nearby crew scatter to escape the heat that radiates off of the fire user, with the exception of Marco. Ace practically growls as he marches over to Luffy and pulls him at his side. Damn Shanks.

"Don't listen to him Luffy, he's just teasing you." Ace says to his brother, but still glaring daggers at Shanks. Shanks's eyebrow twitches.

"Well that's just the sort of thing _we_ do." Shanks grits, pulling Luffy back.

" _We?_ When was the last time he saw you hm?" Ace yanks Luffy back, making him stumble a little.

"Don't be hogging him all the time Ace, he needs to be around his father figure." Ace snorts at the claim.

"Father figure? Please! You're no family!"

"Flame-brain!"

"Drunkard!"

"Hey Marco, can they stop now?" The two men engaged in the argument turn sharply to Luffy, who has somehow made it all the way to Marco and is now tugging on his sleeve.

"I don't know Luffy-yoi. They may be too childish to know when." He says, then he pats Luffy's head.

Shanks and Ace immediately glare at the phoenix. Marco sweat drops at the malice in their gazes.

"You're such a mother hen Marco!"

"Yeah! You're unneeded here, join my crew!"

Marco feels a tick mark appear on his head. _'Since when am I the victim-yoi?'_

A cough resounds in the clearing, and everyone looks up to Whitebeard who has a slightly amused expression.

"I see you all know each other well, but I believe we need to talk about more pressing matters. Shanks, I will accept your offer to help the brats. We'll need all the backup we can get."

"Of course," Shanks says. "I could never do that to Luffy or Ace." Ace looks at Shanks, immediately feeling guilty for being snappy.

"Sorry for being short Shanks. I'm really thankful you're helping us out." Ace apologizes. Shanks chuckles and smacks Ace's back fondly.

"Don't fuss about it kid. I understand where you're coming from." Shanks turns back to Whitebeard, suddenly serious. "Have you thought up some sort of plan yet?"

"No." Whitebeard sighs. "This is a very precarious situation. Two Yonko's attacking marines, and more specifically _Celestial Dragons,_ will no doubt bring a Buster Call. It would cause a catastrophe for both the residents of that island, and our crews. We must handle this carefully."

An uneasy silence settles across the deck as the information is processed. Several looks are exchanged as everyone weighs the odds.

Ace and Luffy deflate a little, they should have known it would be next to impossible to accomplish. Ace looks down at the deck, distraught.

 _'Maybe we shouldn't be pulling them into all of this.'_ He looks over to his captain who appears a bit lost in thought. _'I don't want to harm this crew because of my selfish decision.'_

Luffy is thinking along the same lines, but he doesn't want to believe Foosha is beyond saving. There must be some way to rescue them, but how? Should he and Ace just go by themselves and not risk Whitebeard and Shanks's crews?

"Pops," Ace speaks up. His voice sounds a bit rough from a dry throat. "Maybe me and Lu can just go ourselves. The consequences for both crews is really high if you do this."

"No." Marco smacks Ace's head. Ace rubs the newly formed bruise, hissing through his teeth. "That is the dumbest thing you have ever said. It's a guaranteed death wish Ace; we won't send you over there alone. And that includes you Luffy, don't think I didn't see that look on your face."

"But what else do we do?" Luffy semi-whines. Shanks slings his arm over the fourteen-year old's shoulders.

"Actually, I have something that may help us. Or rather a _who._ " Shanks turns to his crew and cups his mouth with his only hand. "Yukio!"

A very tall man walks to the front of the crowd on the Red Force. He has long blond hair tied into a ponytail at the back. He wears a black vest and black long sleeve underneath with blue tight-fit pants.

"Yeah capt'n?" Yukio asks. His voice has a light accent. Shanks waves him down.

"Come down here, I want to introduce you to everyone." The man jumps down from his ship onto the Moby Dick with utmost grace. He lands softly on his heeled boots right next to his captain.

"Alright everyone," Shanks throws his arm around Yukio's arms in a buddying way, since he isn't tall enough to reach the man's shoulders. "This here is Yukio, and he's a new member of our crew."

"Nice to meet you all." Yukio greets, bowing respectively.

"I wonder how long he took your blab before he finally gave in." Marco mutters under his breath. Shanks's ear twitches and he shoots Marco a glare which is completely ignored.

"Anyway," Shanks continues, again facing Whitebeard. "Yukio may be our key to this whole thing."

"The key?" Ace echoes. Yukio nods.

"That's right, I believe my Devil Fruit may be of use in this situation."

Ace and Luffy exchange glances. What is he talking about?

Just then, Thatch bursts through the kitchen door. The aroma of freshly cooked food invades the noses of everyone outside. It's then that everyone realizes how hungry they all are. Ace barely holds Luffy back from sprinting to the source, even though he is also having difficulty holding himself back.

"How about we take a dinner break and clear our minds. You're probably all hungry." The chef says. "Shanks's crew is also welcome to dine with us."

"We'll be okay over here." Someone shouts from the Red Force, presumably the cook. "You might not be able to fit both crews in your galley anyway."

Now everyone is looking at the captains, waiting for permission to eat. Luffy breaks out the puppy eyes while Ace continues to stare at the kitchen door while drooling.

"Go and eat you brats. Taking a break might just be what everyone needs." says Whitebeard.

"You guys can eat too, I'll be fine." Shanks says, waving his crew off.

A collective sigh of relief floats through the clearing. Everyone then proceeds to flood to their respective galleys for some long awaited grub.

"FOOD!" Luffy cheers, about to push and kick and fricking _punch_ his way through everyone to get what he wants. But a hand on the hood of his cloak has Luffy stopping in place.

"Pineappleeeeeeeee." Luffy whines, grabbing at the hand. "Let me goooo!" Marco can barely contain the roll of his eyes at the nickname.

"Slow down-yoi. The food isn't going anywhere, there is plenty for everyone. You shouldn't be rushing around and risking further aggravating your injuries." Shanks and Ace huddle together, snickering at Marco.

"Yup, definitely."

"Totally a mother hen."

"I bet he's about to lay an egg any second."

"He probably thinks Luffy is his chick or something."

Marco can feel the vein throb in his head. Ace is too much to take everyday, and now there is _Shanks_ here too. The pair together is bound to leave Marco with migraines for days.

"Luffy, you can go eat now. But _walk._ " Marco emphasizes, hoping to get through Luffy's thick skull.

"Yeah yeah, I got it now let go!" Marco reluctantly let's go of Luffy's hood. The teen walks for probably the first two seconds, then catches a whiff of meat, and then breaks the speed limit going to the galley.

 _'Why do I even bother.'_ Marco shakes his head at his own stupidity.

"Oi Luffy! Don't eat everything!" Ace shouts, chasing his brother. Marco moves to follow them, but pauses beside his captain.

"Are you coming-yoi?" He asks the remaining captains. Whitebeard shakes his head.

"Not right now, we've got a few things to talk about concerning the plan Shanks has in mind."

"Don't worry you won't be missing anything." Shanks says to Marco. "Yukio can fill you in. He probably already guessed what I was thinking."

Marco nods then pushes open the doors that lead to the galley. He immediately dodges a flying beer glass and it crashes into the wall behind him. Marco scans the havoc around him until he spots Yukio.

He has apparently already gotten himself a table with Ace, Luffy, Thatch and Izou in the far corner of the room.

"Mind if I join?" Marco asks. He slides on the bench next to Luffy on the edge. Marco watches with mixed emotions of awe and disgust seeing Luffy inhale the massive amount of food on his plate with no table manners whatsoever. The laws of physics don't seem to apply to Luffy's meal time when he manages to stuff multiple drumsticks down his throat and it expands beyond normal size.

With a quick glance across from him, Marco sees the exact same thing in the form of Portgas D. Ace. He watches as Ace falls asleep on his meal for - Marco checks his watch - thirteen seconds before he pops up again like nothing happened and starts pigging out all over again.

Yukio doesn't look like he's bothered by the brothers' eating habits at all. Then again, it's hard to tell with that serene look on his face. Marco has the feeling that Yukio would still keep the exact same face after smelling one of the old cheeses Thatch keeps in his storage.

Izou tries to eat his meal while averting his gaze from the mess happening around him. He is probably the only one on the crew bothered by the untidiness during meal time. Thatch just eats like nothing is wrong, just occasionally smacking away Luffy's wandering hand.

"Aren't you getting anything to eat?" Luffy asks, cheeks puffed with food like a chipmunk. Marco shakes his head.

"No-yoi, I'm not very hungry." Luffy mumbles something along the lines of :"well more for me." and goes back to stuffing his face.

"Yukio, you have an idea of how your devil fruit can help us?" Marco asks. Yukio finishes chewing his food then places his fork delicately on his plate, like he's in a fancy restaurant. Everyone at the table stops eating to listen. Even Ace and Luffy slow down their eating pace to hear what he has to say.

"That's right. I have eaten the Wipe Wipe Fruit, which means I can wipe memories from anybody's mind forever."

"Wipe Wipe fruit?" Izou echoes. He hasn't heard of that devil fruit before.

"Awesome!" Luffy shouts with stars in his eyes. Marco looks calculatingly at Yukio. He has some doubts on how effective his devil fruit may be.

"Shanks said you thought up a plan-yoi?" Marco prompts him. Yukio nods in confirmation.

"If I go there, I can make all marines and nobles forget that Foosha even exists. But there is a certain drawback..."

"Oh?" Thatch mumbles.

"My powers only work at close range. So for this to work, we'd have to get everyone grouped in the same area. When I memory wipe someone, they go unconscious for awhile, so it should be enough time to get them away from Foosha in that time."

Luffy grins in determination. ' _This is great! We can save the island with this!'_

Although Luffy is already swayed at the idea, Ace is a bit skeptical.

"But there's a problem with this plan. Nobles come and go from that 'market' all of the time. It's impossible to keep track of the ones that already visited." Ace says.

"Then if we can't make them forget, we'll just have to send them a message they'll always remember." Izou says darkly, sipping his tea.

"What do you mean by that Izou?" Thatch asks his friend.

"We'll send them a message that'll make them stay away from Foosha forever. I'm not exactly sure what we'll do yet, but I think that it will work." The inhabitants of the table all take a bite of their food and escape to their heads for a moment.

"So, Luffy was it?" Yukio asks. Luffy nods. "How many marines are in the village would you say?" Luffy chews on his food thoughtfully, pondering his answer.

"A lot." He mumbles. Yukio does something with his face that looks only remotely like a cringe.

"It may be a stretch, but if you all knock enough of them out, I think I can do it."

"And if you can't?" Izou asks. Yukio sighs.

"Then give 'em hell. The bastards deserve it anyway."

Whether it's from the prospect of beating Celestial Dragon ass, or the fact that the sophisticated Yukio just _swore_ , the entire table grins cheekily.

"Gah I want to beat them right now!" Luffy says, impatient. He balls his hand into a fist and smacks it on the table.

"Maybe you can't Lu, with your new handicap." Ace says teasingly, but there's an undertone of worry. Luffy glares at his brother, hating the fact that he's being underestimated.

"Handicap?" Yukio questions. Luffy lifts up his cloak so Yukio can see, all without breaking his annoyed gaze from Ace. Yukio's eyebrows merely raise a little in surprise, and then he reaches for a napkin and wipes his mouth, back to being indifferent.

"I've been practicing!" Luffy finally speaks up, dropping his cloak back down. "I can take anyone down just as easily with only one arm!"

"Alright then, if you're so eager to fight, then let's see what you can do my dear little brother." Ace taunts. Luffy grins confidently then springs out of his seat and runs out of the galley with them following closely behind.

Shanks and Whitebeard pause their discussion when Luffy bursts onto the deck. They watch as he runs to the clearing of the bow and screech to a halt in the middle.

"Watch this Ace!" He shouts. Everyone stops to watch in anticipation. Luffy throws his arm backwards and it abnormally extends several feet.

 _'His devil fruit ability.'_ Marco observes. Suddenly the momentum in Luffy's arm decreases, and it snaps back at a furious speed.

"Gum Gum..." His arm flies past his body and smashes into the centre mast, creating a fist sized hole. "Pistol!"

Luffy doesn't waste time going into his second punch, which is doubly as fast as the first, then the third, then the fourth. Next, he spins and demonstrates a series of deadly kicks that leave parts of the ship in ruin. Each hit their target straight on and with great accuracy.

The noise draws both crews out of their dining halls and they find themselves transfixed by the spectacle going on. Two crew mates had to jump out of the way when they got too close, and almost got knocked off of the ship.

"Gum Gum..." Luffy extends and grabs the door handle behind Ace. The fire user feels dread pile up in his stomach. He knows exactly what Luffy's grande finale is going to be.

"ROCKET-" Luffy's voice drowns in the wind as his body is whipped forward at mind warping speed. Ace's eyes bulge from their sockets seeing Luffy coming straight at him.

"Luffy WAIT!" But the warning comes too late, and Luffy tackles Ace in the stomach. Both brothers fly backwards through the door and into the storage closet behind it.

Wood splits and shelves fall as they crash. Luffy lands on top of Ace who is sprawled on the ground, belly up. A bucket rolls by and hits Ace's ankle.

"Damn it Luffy..." Ace wheezes. He moves to push his brother off when his elbow hits a broom stick and it falls directly on his head. Ace growls in annoyance.

"See that Ace? Bet you're impressed right, right?" Luffy says eagerly, hoping up and down on his forearm. Ace flinches and chokes as his stomach is constantly being abused.

"Luffy!" Ace chokes out. "Get off!"

"Oops!" Luffy rolls off of Ace, who sighs in relief. "Sorry Ace! Shishishi!"

"You're not sorry..." Ace mutters as he sits up.

"You both alright?" Thatch calls from outside.

"Peachy." Ace calls back. He pulls Luffy and himself upright then pushes his brother out the door. Once Ace leaves the room, he looks at the damage caused, mouth thinning into a grim line.

"Marco the door is broken-"

"I know-yoi."

Shanks walks up to the disheveled Luffy and laughs boisterously.

"You've certainly improved with your devil fruit since I've last seen you. Although that last technique could use a little work."

"Pft, I didn't even know what you were targeting." Ace scoffs.

"That was your devil fruit ability we saw right?" Izou asks.

"Yeah! I ate the Gum Gum Fruit. I'm a rubber man!" Luffy grabs his cheek and stretches it.

"Luffy!"

It's that moment where Anna comes out and snatches Luffy's hand off of his cheek, making it smack back in place.

"Your hand only just healed! What are you doing smashing it around? And what did I tell you about not training? Your condition still isn't perfect idiot!" She scolds him. Luffy pouts and rubs his cheek.

"But I'm fiiiiine~"

"Do you _want_ to go back to the infirmary for another week?" She threatens. Luffy shudders, remembering all the medicine and needles during the harsh days of his recovery.

"Wait you were injured Anchor? You didn't tell me that." Shanks says, a bit saddened. "Did someone hurt you?"

"Nobody I couldn't handle." Luffy shrugs, but Shanks sees through the lie.

"You're so strong Luffy." Shanks hugs the teen, much to Ace and Marco's annoyance. He's really proud of how Luffy's turning out. He's maturing really well, yet he has managed to keep that spark of childishness that makes him who he is. That's what Shanks really admires about Luffy.

"Shaaaaanks!" Luffy whines. "Stop hugging me! That's for kids!" He tries to struggle out of his hold, but Shanks holds him even tighter.

"How do you expect to get away from an enemy if you can't get away from me?" Shanks asks playfully, not letting go. Luffy makes a frustrated noise and shoves both of his feet on Shanks's stomach. He pushes hard and manages to pop out of the death hold.

Luffy tumbles backwards on the deck, panting from exertion.

"Shishishi! Guess I _can_ escape from an enemy, huh Shanks?" He sits up with a smile, but is confused when he sees the big frown upon the captain's face. "Shanks?"

"Luffy...how? _Who?_ " Luffy is still confused, but then notices his cloak slipped off from the fall. He looks over to Shanks, who's eyes are barren and ice cold hollows. Luffy sighs.

"I lost it when I was escaping Foosha. An admiral burned it off with magma." Luffy says. Shanks grates his teeth together. He knows _very_ well which admiral that is.

Luffy frowns at how upset Shanks is. Seeing Ace react to his injury was bad enough, he doesn't want to see another person he cares about sad.

"You told me yourself Shanks, it's just an arm."

Shanks furrows his eyebrows, like he's trying to recall the words. But then he smiles a little, for Luffy's sake, albeit bitterly. The rage still boils Shanks's blood that he lost his arm so early in his life.

"I did say that didn't I? Are you trying to copy me Anchor? I thought you wanted to be King of the Pirates." He jokes weakly.

"I do! I'm not copying you!" Luffy protests. Shanks smiles again, more genuinely this time.

"I believe you. That's why I gave you that hat after all, to start a new age. And with your devil fruit abilities, you might still be able to fight using what's left of your arm."

"I can?" Luffy asks, tilting his head.

"That's right. You can extend it, and then harden it with armament haki to make a heavy club."

"What's armam...amerma...armament haki?" Shanks shakes his head.

"I would teach it to you, but we don't have time for you to learn that. Maybe someone can teach it to you later." Luffy still looks confused when Shanks stands and motions to Whitebeard. "Alright, now that we've got everyone here, there's something we've got to say."

"We will be arriving at Foosha Village in approximately 3 days." Announces Whitebeard. "Shanks has filled me in on his plan with Yukio over here, and we will follow along with it. All commanders go to the meeting room for a debriefing on everything." The 16 commanders all make their way inside the ship on the order.

"Now, everyone rest up and prepare for battle because it's going to be a big day."

With an air of determination, both crews split up to their own devices. Some pirates talk to their 'mates about cleaning their guns, and others about sparring with fists or swords. Anna walks back to Luffy and grabs him by the back of his shirt.

"You're coming with me young man. I need to examine you before you do anything else to open your wounds." Anna says, then proceeds to drag a complaining Luffy to the infirmary with Ace following close behind.

Marco watches them leave. Something is still eating at his brain.

"Marco? You coming?" Thatch asks, pausing by the door to the meeting room.

"No, I'll be back in a minute-yoi."

Marco jogs back to where the D brothers went. He catches Ace right before he goes into the infirmary after Luffy.

"Ace?"

The fire-user glances back at Marco curiously. He removes his hand from the infirmary door, making it squeak closed. The hallway is dark, with only a small strip of light peeking from under the door.

"Are you and Luffy actually related?"

Ace blinks, then frowns.

"No, we're not blood related. Luffy's dad isn't my shitty one." He says quietly. They can hear Luffy's whining, muffled through the thick door.

"...Do you know who his parents are-yoi?" Marco asks tentatively, afraid to scare Ace out of talking. But Ace looks into Marco's eyes with so much trust, it makes the phoenix feel honoured to have built such a friendship.

"I don't know who his mom is, but I know that his dad is a world class criminal like mine. I tried to ask gramps about it, but that's all I could squeeze out of him. Though he must be a complete ass to leave Luffy behind, so I'm not a fan of the bastard."

"You both seem like blood brothers anyway." Marco chuckles.

"Blood doesn't mean shit." Ace says. "We're brothers, and that's that."

"OW! THAT NEEDLE HURTS!" Luffy shouts. Ace sighs and pushes the door open, but pauses at the last second.

"Thanks for listening Marco. I can always count on you." Then he runs into the infirmary before Marco can see the harsh blush across his face.

Marco is left staring at the door, once again bathed in darkness.

 _'It's really hard for you to open up, huh Ace?'_ Marco smirks.

With the nagging finally gone, Marco spins on his heels and walks back down the long dark hallway.

It's time to get prepared.

 **Line here**

Garp taps his desk impatiently. The den den mushi in front of him remains dormant. Growling, he dials the number again and listens to the ring drawl on, and on, and on.

The vice-admiral sits alone in his office, which is not uncommon in these past months. Papers are scattered all over his desk completely disorganized. His sleeves are rolled up and his jacket is unbuttoned at the top.

The dial tone goes off again, and Garp almost throws the snail across the room. But instead he dials the number again, just like he has done the last one hundred times.

A week. That's how long he has been trying to get ahold of the person on the other end of the den den mushi. This person is quite mysterious and secretive, but Garp knows how to get ahold of him.

He's Garp's son after all.

Garp allows his eyes to wander around his office. He's spent more time in here these last few months than in his entire life. He has even come to memorize every nook and cranny of the space.

Like how the trim at the bottom right hand corner is slightly cracked, and that his certificates of honour aren't as evenly aligned as he once thought, and that the coffee stain on his carpet seems more prominent at dusk- when the sun shines through his window.

The details are important to think about, because if he doesn't, his mind will go directly to all those he let down.

A picture frame at the corner of his desk sits on top of some important document he was supposed to look at ages ago. But he doesn't think it's _that_ important. If it's urgent they will tell him in person, he has no doubt about that.

So instead he looks at the picture. Three boys, one with blonde hair, two with raven black. The smallest with a scar across his cheek smiles cheekily at the camera. The older one with black hair has a smirk on his face and arms crossed, like he just robbed you and got away with it. The blonde one, about the same age as the older raven, smiles toothily with a gap in his teeth. But there is an air of maturity to his appearance, and it pairs well with his top hat and tail coat. They are all so different, yet you can easily tell how much they adore each other.

"Geez." Garp wipes a tear away. He thought about it, crap.

 _"Yes?"_

Garp almost falls out of his seat in surprise. He hadn't noticed when the ringing stopped.

"You brat! Why haven't you been picking up the phone?!" He shouts.

 _"I've been busy."_ The man responds tonelessly.

"Of course you've been Dragon." Garp sighs. "Are you damn ready or not?"

 _"I'm going as fast as I can. Remember that you brought this on father."_

Totally monotone.

"Just hurry up to Foosha and get on with it!" Garp hangs up with a slam. He growls and runs a hand through his thinning grey hair.

 _'I'm not giving up on you boys without a fight, even if I'm not the one that is doing the fighting.'_

 **Line here**

Dragon listens to the dial tone with a frown. He sighs tiredly against the headache sprouting in his temples.

He hangs the phone up just as someone teleports at his side. His hair is an orange red, and he wears all black.

"The vessel is ready to go on your orders." The mysterious man says. Dragon nods to his subordinate.

"Depart for Foosha at full speed. I give you full command of the ship from here on out."

"Yes sir." The man replies with a salute, then disappears into the air.

 **Line here**

The days of preparation came and went fast.

Luffy had been training despite Anna's many objections. One puppy dog look later had her caving in reluctantly, but not without a promise to come into her office after every training session.

Whitebeard and Shanks had sorted through their strategy carefully and determined exactly what they are going to do. They beat the plan into everybody's skulls so that no one would forget their roles.

Now today is the day of the attack. Both crews are standing at the bows of their ships. The Moby Dick is ahead with the Red Force following closely behind.

The sun is just starting to set. When they arrive, the market will be closed, so there will be no extra nobles around to cause unnecessary problems.

Luffy stands ahead of the crew on the figurehead, watching for that familiar island to appear on the horizon. He clutches his straw hat against his chest, the crunchy material a comfort to his fingertips.

 _'So much has happened.'_ Luffy says to himself. He feels like an old man.

Flashes of memories zip through his brain. Trevor crushed under debris, the singer guy, Alice's rare kindness, Henry and Lucas disappearing into the blazing forest, Marco observing him from across the market, the relief when he found out they were Whitebeard Pirates...

And finding Ace. It's been a long journey.

 _'But it's finally coming to a close.'_ Luffy places the straw hat on his head with purpose. Time to beat some people into the dust.

Next to him, Ace hops up without saying a word. The breeze flows through his black hair and the orange light makes his freckles stand out. He crosses his arms, standing straight and strong.

"Are you ready for this?" He asks, voice carrying off in the breeze. Luffy exhales loudly, but nods.

"How about you?" Luffy asks after a few seconds. The teen doesn't turn his head immediately, but eventually looks at his older brother. Ace gazes at Luffy with sparkling eyes, then faces the front with a big smirk.

"Of course."

They both breathe in the fresh air and flush out anymore nerves. It's time to save their home, and they can't afford to have second doubts. Luffy may have failed to save everyone by himself, but now he has Ace and two pirate crews helping. Saint Garlow won't even know what hit him. Luffy only hopes that nothing happened to Makino and the bandits while he's been away.

Suddenly, Marco swoops down in front of the brothers with flames flickering all over his newly morphed wings.

"We will be able to see Foosha in a few seconds. Prepare yourselves-yoi."

Everybody tenses in anticipation as the island slowly comes into view. The two pirate ships are closing in at an alarming rate, the marines will no doubt be caught by surprise.

Luffy's eyes darken seeing what he has left behind. It's exactly the same, just a little emptier without all the nobles walking around. There's even the burnt remains of Foosha still resting on the outskirts. Apparently it's taking the slaves awhile to clean up.

Ace grits his teeth at what he sees. It's completely destroyed! He wasn't expecting so much of a damn difference!

As they near the island, they can hear sudden shouts of marines. Suddenly, dozens of grunts pour out of the facility waving their weapons and shouting at the pirates.

Off to the side, a marine is pushing a straggling slave inside the prison. Ace watches as the slave, probably thirty years old, stumbles on the ground. The marine looks impatient to join his comrades in action, so he loses his temper quickly and strikes the woman with his gun.

"Ace?" Ace doesn't listen to Marco as he walks forward. The blood is pounding in his ears and he can't get rid of the images all around him. He almost doesn't notice how his arm snaps out and starts blazing.

"Geez, guess he's got to make a grand entrance huh?" Thatch comments. Izou nods, watching the flames in Ace's hand grow to an unfathomable size. Once the fire is a raging inferno around Ace, he whips his arm forward and shouts a command.

"HIKEN!" Ace launches a powerful stream of flames toward the mass of marines.

Marco is second to act out. He fully transforms and sends fire missiles from up high. The grunts flee in terror as they strike the earth and an explosion sounds.

The phoenix throws back his head and unleashes a shriek that ignites the fighting spirit in all the pirates. With a single battle cry, they jump off of the ships and attack any marines they can see.

Luffy and Ace leap off of the figurehead into the havoc below. A marine immediately tries to slice Luffy in half, but Ace fries him before the sword is even up in the air.

They land on the sandy ground and set off towards the prison entrance. Marines appear from high and low, blocking their path, but the brothers punch and kick them away like they are only flies.

Luffy ducks a sword aiming to chop his head off. He then sweeps his leg through the marine's feet, making him crash to the ground in a heap. Luffy stands up, panting and covered in dirt. Marco screeches overhead and sends another barrage of flames into the enemy lines.

Not too far away Ben and Yasopp fight alongside Thatch, chopping and shooting grunts that they encounter. Over by the ships, Namur and Haruta assist Yukio in gathering up the unconscious and injured marines to be mind wiped later.

"Oh shit." Ace says over the sounds of the battle, his lip cut and bleeding. Luffy turns to see what Ace is talking about, and his eyes widen into saucers.

"I've always wanted to get rid of you Yonko scum." sneers Akainu, emerging from the prison. Magma bubbles and pours off of his shoulders. With the flick of a wrist, giant globs of magma shoot towards Whitebeard and Red Hair pirates and explode.

"Don't you dare hurt my children!" Whitebeard booms from his ship. With a mighty leap, he lands right in front of Akainu and launches a powerful fist right in his gut. The impact sends shockwaves through the battlefield, and creates a massive hole in the prison wall.

Akainu crumples forward with a sputtered cry before recovering and attempting to send magma in the old captain's face.

"Come on Luffy, now's our chance!" While the admiral is distracted, Ace and Luffy slip inside the prison with the goal of freeing the people trapped inside.

 **Line here**

The citizens of Foosha all sit in their dank cells, exhausted physically and mentally. No one cries anymore, nobody complains, it has reached that point where everyone has accepted their fate to be trapped in here their entire lives.

Makino shuffles against the back wall, lamenting all that has been lost to her. She knows her luck of not being bought is wearing thin. It's only a matter of time when she will be transferred to an even bigger hell than this one.

Next to her Wanda taps her fingers against the wall. Her once perfect nails are chipped horribly and degraded to mere nubs. The bags under her eyes are heavy and dark, and her eyes have lost that touch of mischief.

"Makino are you alright?" She asks. Her southern trawl is barely noticeable anymore since her voice is so quiet.

"Just thinking." She whispers. Talking too loud in here will only draw attention to you, and that's the last thing you want in a building full of murderers and kidnappers.

"You shouldn't be doin' that hon. Your mind's bound to send you to a place you don't wanna be."

"I know, it's just hard sometimes." Makino confesses. Wanda wraps a comforting arm around her and leans her head on Makino's shoulder.

Sometimes actions speak louder than words. And what Makino needs right now is comfort, not words.

A sudden explosion shakes the building. Makino and Wanda hold each other as the lighting overhead flickers and shakes.

"What's happening?" Someone shouts.

"Did part of the building collapse?!"

"They're finally going to get rid of us!"

"Have mercy!"

The slaves grow restless as more explosions are heard. Makino and Wanda remain in the corner, trying to block out the noise that adds to their living nightmare.

"Wait! Everyone quiet! I hear voices!" Dadan shouts. The long weeks of imprisonment have done nothing to hamper her fighting spirit.

The chatter immediately stops as everybody strains to listen. Sure enough, two different voices float along the corridor.

"It should be around here."

"These damn marines, they're so persistent."

Something about the voices causes Makino's heart to skip a beat. Slowly, she unravels Wanda's arms from her shoulder and walks to the front of the cell.

"Makino? What is it?" Wanda asks worriedly. Makino doesn't answer, she grips the bars until her knuckles turn white. She peers desperately at the end of the hallway, needing to see who belongs to the voices.

"It's right here!"

"Geez, finally!"

Tears unconsciously well up in Makino's eyes. It _can't_ be!

Two figures round the corner and to Makino's surprise, it's Ace! And...Luffy?!

 **Line here**

Luffy navigates them both through the building, beating up any marines that get in their way. Ace follows closely behind, eyeing the place with severe distaste.

"It should be around here." says Luffy. Another marine pops out of nowhere and springs at Luffy. Luckily Ace steps in and punches him away before he can get a hit in. They run on, hardly bothered by the slight delay.

"These damn marines, they're so persistent." Ace complains, sending another one into the wall. They turn a corner and Luffy's face lights up.

"It's right here!" He exclaims.

"Geez, finally!"

Luffy's mouth falls into a deep frown. His pace picks up, and suddenly he's desperate to see the people he's left behind. Ace notices Luffy's subtle change, and charges ahead to check for danger. As soon as Ace rounds the final corner, his eyes widen considerably at what he sees.

Dead eyes. Dead eyes everywhere. All the people are living in the cells, but they hardly look like they should be breathing. This is truly what giving up looks like.

Luffy runs past Ace and attacks the first cage he sees, breaking it to pieces in seconds. Ace shakes his muddled head, then jumps into action freeing the prisoners.

"Gum Gum, PISTOL!" Luffy blasts the door off of bars, creating a cloud of dust around their feet. The people inside the cell stand back with wide eyes, clutching their loved ones and themselves. "Come on! We're breaking you out!"

Luffy beckons them and grins. Slowly, smiles start to grow on their faces and then they push past one another to get out. Each one that passes Luffy shakes his hand and says deep thank you's. Over at the other cells, people have gathered around Ace and are thanking him, much to his embarrassment.

Dadan emerges from a cell and squeezes the poor commander to death, only to realize exactly what she's doing, and let's go with a blush and a snappy comment.

Suddenly, Luffy is tackled into a hug that sends him stumbling backwards. The person's shoulders shake with sobs and they clutch him like he's the most precious thing in the world.

"You're alive...I don't believe it." Luffy looks up, and gasps in relief when he realizes it's Makino. She looks a little rough around the edges, but she's still the same woman he's come to know.

"Makino! You're still here!" He exclaims, sinking into her embrace. She still manages to smell homey to him.

"Me?" She pulls back to look at his face and take in every detail. "We all thought you were dead. That admiral brought back your-"

"Arm?" Luffy finishes, flashing his stump.

Makino's hands fly to her mouth and she gasps sympathetically. "Oh Luffy-kun..."

She reaches out and hugs him again, stroking the back of his hair.

"I know it might be a silly question, but are you okay?" She asks. Luffy chuckles a little.

"I'm okay, now that I know you're alright." Makino sobs into his head again. Luffy stands there, bearing her weight for the time being.

"Happy to see you're still alive and kicking kiddo."

"Mayor!" Luffy gasps. He runs up and tackles the short man into a hug. Woop Slap stiffens in surprise, he has never been one for physical contact.

"I'm sorry about your arm boyo. I would normally blame those damn pirates for their influence, but now it's clearly the marines that are at fault." Luffy shrugs.

"I'll be okay. I'll just train and get stronger! Soon I'll be just the same as I would have been with two arms." he says. Woop Slap smiles and nods in approval. Ace opens yet another cage that catches the mayor's attention.

"Excuse me, there are some citizens I need to attend to." He bows slightly then runs straight to an old man holding a child.

"Luffy!" Both Makino and the teen straighten up when Dadan comes stomping up to them with a raised fist. "You brat! We all thought you were dead!"

Luffy flinches a little, thinking she's going to hit him, but instead she shoves her hand on his hat.

"Oi! I can't see!" Luffy tries to push it off.

"Thank goodness you're alive..." Luffy's struggles weaken. As soon as Dadan removes her hand, he peeks up at her. She quickly wipes away any evidence of weakness on her face before he has a good look. Luffy laughs out loud.

"Shishishi, thanks old hag!"

"Who are you calling old hag, brat?!"

Luffy laughs again just as another blast strikes the building. Ace runs next to Luffy, panting harshly.

"We've got to get out of here." He tells them. "This place is going to come down sooner than we planned."

Makino pulls Ace down into a hug. His face immediately turns red as a beat, and he struggles to come to terms that he was caught by surprise.

"Thank you for coming Ace-kun. I'm so glad you're safe." She whispers in his ear. Ace's face turns even more red, if possible.

"You're welcome. I can't just let my home be destroyed." Ace says back, allowing her to give him some affection. Makino chuckles and releases him, squeezing his shoulder.

"Come on everyone! Follow me!" Luffy shouts. The ex-slaves cheer so loud, it almost drowns out the sounds of battle raging outside.

With Ace and Luffy leading the charge, they all storm out. Chunks of wall tumble down from the sides and the ground quakes almost constantly.

But the villagers do not fear the havoc around them. They have seen death and traveled through hell, a few extra steps don't faze them.

Up ahead is the large opening that is their freedom.

All of a sudden, a bullet slices through the air and misses Luffy's head by a millimetre. It's enough of a shock to make the entire group stop in place. Ace fumes when he looks at the bastard in front of them that has tried to hurt his brother for a second time.

"Don't move another inch! Or I will blow your disgusting faces off your bodies!"

It's Saint Garlow. Or, at least Luffy thinks it's Saint Garlow. The Celestial Dragon looks crazed and desperate. His dome that once prevented him from breathing the same air as them is cracked, and a massive chunk is missing from the side. In his hand is a pistol decorated in solid gold, pointing at them and smoking at the barrel from when he just fired a shot.

"You lot aren't going anywhere! You're _mine_. You belong to me you slaves! Get back in your cages!" Ace growls and moves forward, ready to break his face, hands, spine, legs, e.c.t.

"Stop! Take another step forward and I blow her head off!" Saint Garlow screeches, moving his pistol in Makino's direction. Ace stops, but glares at him. Saint Garlow turns his gaze away from Ace, obviously terrified of him. He waves his gun at them like he's herding cattle. "Go! You've already caused enough trouble here! Miserable rodents, I'm going to whip all of you when this little rebellion is over!"

"I don't think so."

Saint Garlow spins around as fast as his pudgy body will allow.

"Who-"

"I don't think you even want to know _buddy._ " His eyes are cold slits, and he twirls his sword like it's a baton.

"Shanks!" Luffy exclaims. The group gasps in excitement seeing the red-haired pirate again.

"Shanks?" The High Noble rolls the name around his mouth distastefully. "You're the captain of the pirate crew that ruined my slave market!"

"That's right, got something you want to tell me?" Shanks tilts his head eerily. Saint Garlow's face turns red with anger.

"You imbecile! I will execute you right here!" He raises his pistol and aims for Shanks's head. The captain only narrows his eyes, and bends his knees.

"DIE!"

But before the shot can ring out, a fist plows through Saint Garlow's glass dome, and lands a heavy blow to his face. Saint Garlow hits the ground with a thud, his face bloodied and swelled beyond normal. A small pained, resigned sound escapes his bloodied lips.

Everyone looks at Makino, who wipes her bloody knuckles off on her skirt.

"Bastard." She spits.

There's collective silence, and then the villagers start cheering as they race ahead. Wanda grabs Makino's hand, laughing, and together they follow the rest.

Shanks stands there, mouth open in shock, marveling at the woman. Why can't he bring himself to look away from her? He doesn't remember seeing that golden halo around her head earlier...

"C'mon Shanks! You can't stand there forever!" Luffy yells at him, yanking on his sleeve. Shanks allows himself to be pulled along in a slight daze.

"Bad _ass_..." He whispers.

Ace sticks his head out and scans around the massive opening in the wall. When it's clear, he motions everyone to follow outside. One by one, the villagers file out and run towards the forest on Ace's instructions. Dadan leads them, more familiar with the forest than anyone else there.

Shanks leans over and picks a child up, holding him over the part of the wall that is too tall for him to climb. The mother takes her child, thanks Shanks profusely, then runs into the forest.

Soon enough, everyone is out of the complex and running up the slope to the forest.

"Let's make sure they get there safe and sound." Ace tells his brother. Luffy nods and turns to tell Shanks.

"I think you two will be fine on your own. I'm going to go help my crew on the battlefield." Shanks says. Sure enough, more marines appear from the direction of Low Town. No doubt called up to assist in the fight.

"Alright, see ya later Shanks!" Luffy says. Shanks grins in return, then leaps away with his black cloak billowing in the wind.

"Shall we destroy this pest that has invaded Foosha?" Ace asks his brother, sounding prestigious. Luffy nods, trying his best to look professional and snooty.

"I believe we should. But first..." Luffy runs back into the building and grabs the unconscious Celestial Dragon. He drags him back outside then throws him to the side and out of the way. The body merely splays on the ground in a lump. Both brothers pretend not to hear the moan of pain from said lump.

"We should have left him in there..." Ace scowls.

"We need Yukio to mind wipe him remember? Now let's do this! I've been waiting to destroy this damn thing since forever!" Ace nods, a malicious grin spreading across his face.

They back up a few paces from the crumbling prison. Luffy frowns in concentration, stance going into attack mode.

"Gum Gum, Gatling!" Luffy sends a barrage of quick and powerful punches toward the building. More foundation instantly crumbles under the impact and soon enough, the building looks like it can tumble over with just the blow of the wind.

"Come on!" Ace shouts.

They make their way up the slope and up to a ledge overlooking Foosha. The only person waiting up there is Makino.

"Where did every-?"

"They all went to Dadan's hut, don't worry Luffy-kun." Both brothers sigh in relief. "I'm going to join them for the time being."

Makino grabs both of their faces and delivers a kiss on their cheeks.

"Please be safe my boys. And thank you for all you've done for us." She says tenderly, making Ace and Luffy's hearts warm up. Then she runs back into the forest and after the rest of the group.

They both smile in her absence, although Ace's face is a little red. The crashing of swords brings them back to reality, and they turn to overlook the battle with frowns on their faces.

"There's still someone we have to deal with." Ace says darkly.

"Sabo's dad." Luffy responds. Ace nods in confirmation.

"This will never end with that guy still around. When I find him, I'm gonna beat his ass into next day for what he did to you, and everyone." Ace steps forward on the ledge. His arm lights up in flames and he quickly draws a 't' shape in the air, creating a fire cross.

"Jujika!" He shouts, sending the cross flying straight for the prison. As soon as it hits, the building explodes and completely obliterates. Smoke and dust blow across the clearing, choking nearby marines.

Ace and Luffy stand alone witnessing the scene. Pieces of flaming rubble rain down from above, but none strike the brothers. They watch as the dust settles and nothing but debris remains. The hard work and pain that it took to construct this building is no longer existent, neither is any evidence of the horrors that have happened inside.

Luffy watches it all with blank eyes. He doesn't feel happy, exactly, just numb. It should have never existed, and now they will have to work harder to get everything back to normal.

Howls of victory float up from the battle. Marco flies over them and screeches in victory. The demolition was a signal to both crews that the brothers' fulfilled their part of the plan.

"Let's go Lu." Ace says softly, squeezing his brother's hand. Luffy nods, forcing his eyes away.

They sprint down the slope past unconscious marines and burning patches towards the Moby Dick. Nearby, Anna applies first aid to a Red Hair pirate who got caught by surprise.

As Ace looks around, he notices that the battle is in their favour. In fact, only a few straggling marines remain trying to take down as many pirates as they can before they go down themselves. It has been an uneven fight for them, they are hopelessly overwhelmed by the sheer skill, preparation and numbers from the two crews.

The only one really leading the marines on is Akainu. He and Whitebeard are still going strong. Both parties sport different injuries, but it's hard to tell who is getting more exhausted. Marco tries to help out a little by sending in flamethrowers, but they are easily negated by Akainu's magma powers.

"There's Thatch over there." Ace says through pants. The brothers run over to where their friend is. He's got a bruise on the side of his head, but that seems to be his only notable injury.

"Guys! I saw what you did to the building. It was epic!" Thatch exclaims, then laughs.

"Is there anymore major issues going on?" Ace asks. Thatch shakes his head.

"No, it's just Akainu that's the biggie. Pops said he can handle it on his own, but I don't know..."

"Whitebeard!"

All heads turn towards the main battle, happening in the centre of Foosha. Akainu's face is the definition of rage. Spit flies from his mouth after every attack, and he growls even louder when Whitebeard manages to block or evade them.

"This ends now!" Akainu screams. He coats his hands into giant bubbling magma fists and launches himself forward at the pirate captain. Whitebeard frowns and pulls his own fist back, creating a small sphere around it.

"Pops!" Thatch and Ace yell, concerned for their captain's safety. Marco makes a shrill call from his bird form, unable to interfere. The rest of the crew watches in horror, screaming at their captain to dodge.

Akainu's attack is fast, it will strike before Whitebeard even has a chance to conjure his. But right as the fist nears his stomach, Shanks appears and slices the magma hand off with his sword. It won't take long for the arm to regenerate, but it's enough time for Whitebeard to strike back.

The sphere wavers as it's being filled with concentrated energy. Whitebeard raises his fist over his head, then brings it down hard on Akainu's head.

"Kabutowari!" He shouts. Akainu crashes into the ground, as explosions go off from the sphere onto his head. The extra force buries the admiral deeper and deeper into the rubble, until he moves no more.

Panting, Whitebeard slowly raises his fist from the crater he created. Both captains look down at their fallen enemy to check if he is properly unconscious. All marines and pirates have stopped fighting to see the outcome of the battle.

With the fist that he had used to strike down his enemy, Whitebeard raises it in the air victoriously. Cheers erupt all around the grounds, while the remaining marines merely raise their hands in surrender.

"Get up! I said GET UP!"

All heads turn to the one person in support of the admiral.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be an admiral you idiot! Get up and kill them!" Luffy and Ace glare daggers at the man. Luffy digs his fingernails into his palm, barely suppressing the urge to knock his brains out.

"Outlook." Ace spits out. The noble leers at the brothers and turns his nose up in disgust.

"You're still as revolting as I remember. Enjoy my gift little one?" Outlook asks, gesturing to the burnt village. Luffy's glare hardens and he vibrates in anger.

"You bastard..." Luffy grits.

"Well it's your fault. You both took away my blood heir! And for what? To live in a trash heap with devil children?" Outlook's voice turns shrill with disbelief. Ace steps in front of his brother, as if trying to shield him from the words.

"Don't you _dare_ dishonour Sabo's choices, and Luffy is _not_ a devil child. So you better shut the hell up before I make you." Ace threatens, cracking his knuckles.

"He may not be a devil child. But _you_ are." Outlook sounds smug. Ace's eyes widen.

"You don't-"

"That's right Portgas, I figured out just who you are. Should I call you by your real name instead?" He spits and it lands on Ace's bare dirt logged chest. "See? You have no power against me! No one does! And now, I'm going to make that good for nothing admiral get up, and crush you devil children so hard you'll be begging me-"

"BURN IN HELL-YOI!"

Marco drops down from the sky in hybrid form with talons extended and kicks Outlook hard in the spine, sending him skidding across the ground. He growls in outrage as he struggles -and fails- to get up.

"Never _ever_ talk about them like that again-yoi! Or I'll show you what a _real_ devil looks like you bastard." Marco snaps, seething in rage. This self-proclaimed 'know it all' (who is actually the biggest dumbass bastard on the planet) almost exposed Ace's biggest secret. And he has the nerve to taunt him about it and threaten them? No. Marco will not allow it, not for a second.

"OW! You vermin! Who do you think you are?!" Outlook shouts from the ground, enraged. Flames spark off of Marco's shoulders and he moves to finish the noble off.

"Marco wait." The phoenix stops, and his blazing aqua blue eyes lock on Ace's grey ones. "Thanks for being an overprotective hen and all, but we want to do this."

Marco stares at his brother, feeling uncertain. But seeing the same passionate fire burning in Ace's irises makes him realize who _really_ needs to handle the noble. So Marco sighs, and extinguishes the flames on his shoulders. Ace smiles at his friend and pats his shoulder as he walks past him.

"Thanks again Marco." Marco smiles back at him and steps out of the way. Ace and Luffy loom over Outlook, who desperately tries to scramble up and gain some semblance of ground.

"You're a disgrace. You treated Sabo like shit and expected him to live by your rules." Ace snarls.

"And you destroyed our village and hurt all my friends in it! We're going to make you pay!" If Luffy's looks could kill, Outlook would have died one thousand times.

"Y-you wouldn't dare!" The noble stutters, shuffling backwards. His fancy tailcoat gets smeared with mud and he has lost a shoe.

"Oh," Ace's arm lights on fire. Outlook gasps in horror. "I think we would."

Ace and Luffy exchange glances then leap forwards and punch him in the face. Outlook reels back from the force, but Ace pulls him back by his scorched tie while Luffy kicks him in the stomach. Outlook kneels over in pain, coughing up fluids.

"This is for Foosha!" Luffy punches him in the face again. "This is for Sabo!" A few teeth fly. "And this is for all the shit that you've caused!" This punch sends Outlook rolling across the clearing. His leg catches a piece of concrete and he flips in mid air.

"Ack!" Outlook's back smacks against a tree. His spine shudders in pain and he chokes, then slides to the ground unconscious.

The brothers glare at their miserable tormenter. Ace puts his arm around Luffy and squeezes his shoulder. They remain there, panting and staring, but it doesn't look like Outlook will move anytime soon.

Luffy's gaze flicks around all that's left of Foosha - nothing. He can't help but wonder, how long will it take for someone else to come along and do the exact same thing? Will the inhabitants of the village all move away? Is Foosha already nonexistent?

"Hey Lu," Ace moves in Luffy's field of vision. "It's over now. So just let it all go." He says, squeezing Luffy's shoulder reassuringly. Luffy blinks. He looks at all the pirates scattered around the battlefield, laughing and smacking each other's backs. It's not only Foosha's victory, but it's theirs too, Luffy realizes.

Luffy closes his eyes, inhales, then exhales shakily, slowly easing the tension from his shoulders.

"It is hunh?" Luffy whispers, lip trembling. Quickly he shakes his head and wipes his eyes. Ace smiles fondly and knocks Luffy's hat off to ruffle his hair.

Whitebeard smiles at the pair while Anna pokes at his injuries. He beckons Marco over with his giant finger.

"Yeah Pops?" Marco asks, flying beside him with his flaming blue wings.

"Go find those villagers and tell them that it is safe to return." Marco nods and flies to the forest. Whitebeard settles down on the dirt ground, trying to get a little comfortable. "Alright everyone, listen here." The pirates make their way from different corners of Foosha to the giant captain. Shanks stands next to him, wiping down his sword. "I know how much you all want to party. Believe me when I say there is nothing more I would rather do at this moment." Scattered chuckles go through the crowd. "But our job is not yet finished. We need to gather every marine, unconscious or not, and bring them to Yukio. This is a vital step for this plan to succeed, and it needs to be done quickly. Understand?" The pirates cry out their affirmative and run around, grabbing marines from near and far.

"Put them around here, yes. Remember, we have to get them out of here within the hour of mind wiping. Arrange the unconscious ones in the front side by side, like that yes." Yukio directs both crews with smooth efficiency. Ace wonders if he had been a captain in his past life.

The many, _many_ unconscious marines are lined side by side in the front row. Any weapons are stolen or discarded, leaving them defenseless. The back row is filled with the marines that are awake. Their hands are bound by rope that in return is tied to a singular rope that runs through each bind. The train of marines glance nervously between the pirates around them and their fallen leader amongst the line of unconscious and defeated.

The sound of murmuring draws attention, and soon all of the ex-slaves emerge from the forest. They observe their surroundings with big eyes, taking in the destruction all around them, and more precisely the prison.

"It's gone!" A lady gasps.

"Oh thank the heavens." A man sobs. More tears of relief are shed in the group. The pirates leave them alone, offering silent condolences to all they have lost.

Izou bends down to pick up a marine sword when there is a tug on his kimono. He glances to his side curiously to see a little girl in scruffy clothing.

"Um," she shuffles her feet and looks to her mother nervously. The mother smiles and nods in encouragement. "Thank you for saving us from the meanies. They burnt our house and my special teddy bear. I was so sad, but now I'm really happy because you helped my mom and me. So thank you!" The girl grins up at Izou, albeit a little shyly.

Izou blinks down at her, then lifts his hands to his mouth to contain his overwhelmed feelings. Once he composed himself, he crouches down to her eye level and smiles.

"It was no problem at all. But if you really want to thank us, go up to every pirate who fought here and give them a big thank you. Can you do that?" The girl's eyes widen considerably and she nods enthusiastically, making Izou chuckle.

"Yes I can Miss! You can count on me!"

Izou almost corrects the girl, but lets it slide for the time being. Instead, he picks her up and tugs on the hem of her dress.

"Dear me, you're in dire need of a change in wardrobe my dear." The girl giggles. "What is your name?"

"Layla..." She mumbles, ducking her head into her shoulder.

"Well _Layla,_ I think I should make you a new dress myself." Izou says softly, like it's some sort of big secret. The girl gasps and her head shoots up, shyness temporarily forgotten.

"Really?!" She breathes. Layla twists in Izou's arms to look at her mother. "Mommy! This nice lady says she'll make me new clothes!"

Marco watches fondly as the mother walks up to Izou and starts building a conversation with him. To the phoenix's left, a short old man with a walking stick hobbles up to him.

"Hello sir, my name is Woop Slap, the mayor of Foosha." He extends a hand in greeting which Marco accepts with a brief shake.

"Hello-yoi. I'm Marco, first division commander of the Whitebeard pirates. " Marco says calmly. Woop Slap fiddles with his glasses, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"I hate pirates." He admits. Marco raises an eyebrow. Does this man remember who he's talking to? "Ever since red hair came to our village, I've loathed all the trouble they carry along with them. I was convinced they were terrible, irresponsible low life's who only want to drink sake and create havoc."

"Then why are you telling this to a pirate?" Marco asks. He's not mad, merely curious. Woop Slap meets Marco's eyes. He looks somewhat guilty.

"I'm telling you this because I owe it to you. You've changed my mind by how you've acted. Not only with your actions here today, but you actually listened to Luffy and decided to help him. That itself gains my respect, and I humbly thank you and your crew for all you've done for us." Woop Slap bows deeply.

"You don't have to bow. It's only our responsibility to take care of our own." Marco responds. Woop Slap raises, smiling.

"Thank you. Now that we have this matter settled, I'd like you to meet the rest of our village." Woop Slap pushes a flustered Marco over to the citizens of Foosha who immediately surround him and say their share of thanks's.

"Haha! The hen is getting mobbed!" Ace mocks from far away, watching his friend slowly being eaten up by the crowd.

"Ne Ace, talking about pineapple head makes me hungry. Can we eat something soon?" Luffy complains, pulling on Ace's arm. Ace moves the appendage away.

"Not now Lu, we've still got stuff to do."

"But Aaaaaace!"

"Luffy! Ace!" The brothers turn around, only to get tackled by a hug. Green shiny hair waves in their eyes and they instantly relax. "Thank goodness you're still alright!"

"We're fine Makino! We're strong!" Luffy exclaims, breaking away and flexing his skinny arm. Makino chuckles into her hand that is still a little stained with red.

"I see that. Now where is Whitebeard-san and Shanks? I need to thank them for all the help they've given us." Ace points over her shoulder.

"They're just over there. Pops is getting checked out by the nurses, but he won't mind seeing you."

"Thank you Ace. You boys get checked out too, and don't pretend like you haven't hurt yourselves. When I get back, I expect to see new bandages on you." Makino eyes them both condescendingly. "Alright?"

"Yes Makino." Ace and Luffy sigh out. She smiles and walks over to the two captains. They watch with lingering smiles as Makino says something to Whitebeard, who chuckles in return. Shanks has flowers around his head as he gazes at her from beside the giant captain.

"Okay, I believe that is all the marines. Everybody take a step back so you are not affected." Yukio says, splaying his palms out. The pirates in the vicinity shift back to form a large semi circle around the marines.

Luffy watches in wonder as Yukio makes odd finger gestures in a specific order. When he finishes the sequence, he hums an indistinguishable word and then repeats the hand gestures. Except, this time his hands glow a neon blue. The beautiful lights highlight his face and make it appear as though he is hollow.

"Tsutsumimasu." Yukio mumbles. The lights from his hands float up in the air and weave around the bodies in front of him - including the admiral and Celestial Dragon.

The marines that are awake struggle against their binds, afraid to touch the soft looking light. But their efforts are in vain, and soon enough their eyes are drooping shut.

Yukio makes another set of hand gestures using much more effort than the other two. Sweat appears on his brow and he wipes it away hastily.

"Yukio, you okay?" Yasopp asks him. Yukio nods jerkily.

"Yes. I just...haven't done this...with so many...people before." He grits. His devil fruit has searched and claimed all memories that belong to this village and this day. However, the challenge is trying to hold onto all of them before they can escape his next command. Yukio clamps his eyes shut and focuses his breathing, it's now or never.

"Shōsan sa semasu!" He yells. In an instant, the blue lights diffuse into each different body. Yukio cries out in pain as each memory is sliced and disposed of. The standing marines slump to the ground in a heap.

After several long agonizing minutes, the blue light diffuses back into the open, and flows back into Yukio. When the last of the blue light returns to his hands, the devil fruit user falls to his knees, panting. Ben and Yasopp are immediately right there with some water and a helping hand.

"Are you okay Yukio?" Ben asks, handing him the water. Yukio gulps it down greedily, not caring of the liquid spills on his neat clothes.

"Yes. Yes I am. Just need a little rest is all." He pants in his odd accent.

"You were great Yukio! Took it like a real champ!" Lucky Roo exclaims, slapping Yukio on the back. The tall man grimaces a little as some water spills out of his lips and onto his chest.

" _Thank you._ But now we've got to get these marines off this island as fast as possible. What location did we decide on again?" He asks. Jozu, the third division commander, pulls out a map and examines it.

"Here," he points, "Shimotsuki village, just south of here."

"When they arrive there they will be confused at most, but then they should just leave and get on with their days." Yasopp says.

"Alright." Yukio grimaces as he stands up. "Let's load them up on the life boats-"

"Wait."

All eyes turn to Luffy, who is walking along the marines and checking every single one. His eyes are blown open and he looks worried. At first, Ace looks as confused as the others, but then throws his head back with his hands flying to his eyes.

"He's not here." He mumbles through his hands. The pirates' exchange confused glances.

"Who isn't-yoi?" Marco asks, joining them. Luffy kicks the ground, startling everyone in the vicinity.

"Outlook." He spits out.

"Oh shit."

"Everyone look to where he could have escaped to!" Marco orders. The pirates' split up in different search parties. Ace checks the place where Outlook last was, only to find a small puddle of blood and a gold pocket watch.

"What is happening my son?" Whitebeard asks Marco.

"We appear to have an escapee." he tells his captain. "And we don't know where he is." Whitebeard frowns and stands up, disturbing the medical equipment that has been attached to him.

"We can't have that. One person exposing what has happened today will ruin everything. Check near the forest." He orders. Marco nods and moves in that direction.

"I see him! I see him!" All heads turn towards the port. Whitebeard limps up to his most trusted lookout, who is perched on a flagpole with a telescope in hand.

"Where Calvin?" Ace asks, moving below him. Luffy bounces anxiously by his brother's side.

"Out on the sea. He's on a ship." He replies, twisting his telescope into better focus. A feeling of dread pits in their stomachs. "He's too far away, it's impossible to catch him by ship. He's going to get away."

 _'No!'_ Luffy panics. All of this hard work can't possibly be for nothing!

"Marco!" Whitebeard booms. The situation is growing desperate as their only chance of succession is floating away. Marco understands the silent command and stomps his foot, getting ready to transform and pursue the noble.

"Hold on a second!" Calvin shouts, wobbling dangerously from his perch.

"What is it?!" Shanks demands impatiently.

"There's another ship approaching him."

"We can't let that happen, he's going to tell them everything. Marco!-"

A bright sphere of fire appears in the horizon, exactly where Outlook's ship is. A sonic-boom flies across the water, creating a wave and a strong gust of wind.

The wind buffets the observing audience. Ace's hat flies back on his neck and his raven hair whips around wildly. Calvin removes the telescope from his eye, mouth agape.

Slowly, the explosion visuals fade, and not even a breath of smoke remains. It is a very odd sight, and it leaves the pirate's confused.

"What happened?!" Thatch asks, voice laced in disbelief. Calvin raises the telescope back on his eye reluctantly.

"It's...gone." He says softly, like he's afraid he's made a mistake.

"Gone? What about the other ship?" Lucky Roo asks, taking a bite of the meat leg he's acquired.

"It's still there...I think they've blown his ship into oblivion!" Calvin gasps, mind falling to imagination rather than logic.

"That can't be right, it's impossible-yoi." Marco says, eyes narrowing. Flames climb his leg, starting a transformation. "I'm going to go check what happened."

"Is anyone missing a beaten noble?"

Swords are drawn and guns cock as everyone whips around to face the intruder. He stands there plain as day, with Outlook slumped down below him, unconscious and free of burn injuries.

The pirates don't understand how he has gotten here, but they don't like being taken by surprise. It's an oddity that no one had sensed his presence prior to his arrival. But here he is, magically appearing out of nowhere to the heart of the enemy. Whitebeard and Shanks observe the man calmly, but are dimly aware they cannot let him leave and risk exposing their secret.

The man only clicks his tongue at their hostility. He eyes the weapons around him in distaste then shrugs.

"Maybe I was being a bit too sudden, let me start over." He grabs Outlook by the shoulder and pushes him forward to Yukio's feet. "Here you go. I caught him for you guys."

"Was that your ship out there-yoi?" Marco asks, not taking his eyes off the mysterious man.

"That's right. My associates are still there right now, it's only me with you all." He answers, flipping a piece of red hair back. Shanks frowns and steps forward. He places the tip of his sword on the man's neck.

"Who are you?" Shanks demands in a flat tone. The cool steal presses further into the warm skin of the man's jugular.

"Mmm...I'm afraid I can't tell you that." He sounds truly apologetic. "All I can ask is for you to trust me that I won't say a word about anything that has happened today."

"Trust you? How are we supposed to trust you when we don't even know who you are?" Ace asks bitterly, his lip rising into a snarl. For some reason, the man brightens up.

"Actually, I believe there is one person here who knows me. Though I hope he hasn't forgotten about the person who saved his life." He says with a grand smile. He glances to the side, right beside Ace.

"Singer guy?!" Luffy gasps. Shanks lowers his weapon and raises his brow at the teen. The man smiles even wider and hums a little tune.

"That's right! But I thought I told you to call me something else." Luffy shrugs and murmurs how he forgot. "Well, it doesn't matter. You can call me whatever you want."

"Oi, Lu. You know this guy?" Ace asks his brother, nudging him. Luffy nods and grins in a D-shape.

"Yeah! When I first escaped from Foosha, he gave me money for medicine and food!" Luffy chuckles and approaches 'the singer guy', bouncing lightly on his feet.

"You are a lot more energetic than I remember." He ruffles Luffy's hair. "I'm glad to see you're well taken care of." Luffy chuckles and rubs a finger under his nose. The singer's face turns serious all of a sudden. He meets the gaze of everyone around him, until he lands on Whitebeard and Shanks. "Look. You may find it very hard to trust me, but you must believe that I mean you no harm. I brought this noble back for you to get rid of his memories. This island means a lot to my boss, and we don't want anymore tragedy to happen to it. So please, just accept my peace offering and leave it at that."

The two Yonko analyze the man. He doesn't feel like the type to be deceitful, his arguments seem to be truthful. Also, based off of his past experience with Luffy, he sounds like a kind sort, and anyone on Luffy's good check list is on Shanks's too. Whitebeard also appreciates the fact that he had helped Luffy in a time of dire need. He only wonders one thing.

"You must want something in return, what is it brat?" He asks. Singer guy waves his hands in denial.

"No, no, no!" He chuckles, like it's the funniest joke he's ever heard. "I don't want anything in return! Just let me deal with the marines when you finish mind wiping them."

"So you _do_ want something." Thatch leers.

"It's entirely for your benefit! I get rid of them, you don't have to deal with them anymore. Plus, I think your time is running out." He says, tapping his watch. Yukio wraps his arms around his shaking form. He's exhausted - the amount of memories is too much for his body to handle. But if he has to fit in one more, so be it.

"He's not wrong. We won't have time to send them over to the nearest island." Yukio says, not breaking eye contact with their guest. "But I don't see how he can take them away in under an hour."

"Ah, that's the question isn't it? It's my devil fruit. I could go into details about it, but it's a little too complicated to explain right now. Maybe you can just call it, teleportation?" He tells them, making air quotation marks. Ace still looks skeptical. It's hard to trust this guy who is so full of secrets. But he's offering a way out, and Luffy trusts him. Is it really alright for them to just hand everything over to a complete stranger?

"Please giant-ossan! He's a great guy! You can trust him!" Luffy insists, giving Whitebeard puppy dog eyes. Whitebeard meets them head on, keeping a neutral expression.

"You're sure about this brat?" Luffy nods, completely serious.

"I am."

Whitebeard stares at Luffy for a little longer, then blinks at the singer guy.

"Alright then. We shall accept your help." The singer guy grins in victory.

"However, if you do anything to betray this group, you shall answer to me." He leans forward, casting an ominous shadow overhead.

"Shishishi he won't! Because he's a good guy!" Luffy says cheerily, bouncing around the man. The pirates' swallow their captain's decision, but can't help feeling wary. Shanks accepts him silently, keeping an eye out for any wrong moves. You can never be too careful around the unpredictable.

"Perfect! I'm glad we've come to an agreement!" Singer guy grins and bows with flourish. "You won't regret this."

"We better not..." Ace growls.

"I guess I'll start on him now." Yukio sighs, dropping down to his knees next to Outlook's body.

"Are you sure you're still up for this Yukio?" Shanks asks him, concerned for his health. Yukio nods, hovering his hands over the body.

"I will only require a nap and a bottle of sake afterwards." He jokes. Shanks smiles and pats him on the back. "I'll take care of everything..." Yukio's smile melts into a frown of concentration and he closes his eyes.

"Yukio," Ace says quietly, afraid to disturb him. Yukio merely hums in question. "Can you get rid of his memories of Luffy and I?" Yukio smirks.

"I said I'd take care of it, didn't I?" Ace smiles and steps back in line with his brother. He wraps his arms around Luffy's waist and rests his head on the teen's.

Yukio does his hand gestures and mumbles the opening words; Tsutsumimasu. As the familiar blue glow illuminates the clearing, Luffy leans back into Ace.

"Why didn't you ask him to take away his memories of Sabo?" He asks, turning his doe eyed gaze up to his brother's.

"Even if he forgot, his family wouldn't have. Besides, he must feel _some_ guilt for Sabo's death. We shouldn't take that away from him. He deserves every ounce he gets." Ace snorts, burying his nose in Luffy's soft raven hair. Luffy focuses back on the ceremony, biting the inside of his cheek in thought.

"Shōsan sa semasu!" Yukio shouts. This time, when the blue light flows inside, Yukio doesn't seem nearly as pained. It takes only a few seconds for the memories to be removed. Luffy finds it kind of sad. Months, years worth of memories wiped out in a moment.

"All done." Yukio says. His complexion looks slightly paler, but he doesn't seem any worse off than before.

"Good. Now that this is done, I will be taking my souvenirs." The singer guy snaps his fingers, and suddenly every marine and noble disappears into thin air.

"Just like the ship." Calvin mumbles, tightening his grip on his telescope

.

"Where did you put them-yoi?" Marco asks.

"In their own comfy beds. Well, they _will_ be there. For now, they are being held some place I am not inclined to tell you about." After a few glares from the crowd he chuckles nervously. "But there's no need to worry. When they wake up, they will believe the destruction here was caused by someone else entirely. That is, if they even bother caring about this incident in the future. It's more for the nobles who hope to make future purchases here. They will not want to come around here after the news is spread."

"And who exactly will be taking responsibility for this?" Yasopp asks, gesturing to everything - the collapsed building, burning patches of ground, rubble and blood everywhere you turn. Yukio chuckles mischievously.

"Why, the revolutionary army of course. We do this sort of thing _all_ the time."

"You're from the revolutionary army?!" Thatch asks in disbelief. His question burns through the heads of everyone present.

"Yes, I am. Now, I would love to stay here and play a round of twenty questions with you all, but I've got to get going before my new guests wake up." He looks over to Luffy and winks. "See you later Luffy. Future King of the Pirates."

Not even a sound is made when he disappears. A small breeze flows through Luffy's hair and tickles Ace's nose, making him sneeze.

 _'Did I even tell him my name before?'_

"Yo Luffy," says Haruta, looking nervous. Luffy blinks back to her in question. "I know you said you trust him, but will he really keep his word?"

"He will!" Luffy replies without an ounce of doubt. "Singer guy gave me food, and anyone who gives me food is a good guy." Everyone chuckles while Ace groans, shoving Luffy's giggling head to the side.

"Um Whitebeard-san?" Makino asks.

"Yes Makino?" The woman fiddles with the folds of her skirt.

"What happens now?"

The clearing falls into silence. All pirates and citizens stare up at Whitebeard expectantly.

"I think it's obvious." Shanks smirks knowingly. He slowly withdraws the bottle of sake from his pocket. Whitebeard nods, and a grin spreads across his face.

"We drink!"

Cheers erupt and people hug. Several pirates bring over sake from their ships and share them with everyone. The chefs prepare food for the ex-slaves which leaves them all in tears. Thatch would by lying if he said he didn't gain _several_ girlfriends that night.

Anna and the nurses perform checkups on every pirate and Foosha citizen. They are happy to say that no one will be perishing anytime soon.

They party all night, chugging back sake and exchanging stories of adventure. Whitebeard offers to help with repairs and shelters until Foosha is back to being habitable. The citizens are beyond grateful and can't seem to stop thanking the pirates' all night.

The Red Hair pirates leave during the party, having affairs to do somewhere else. Shanks is confident that Luffy and the others are in good hands, and departs with a deep goodbye to everyone in the village (cough* Makino cough*). He tells them that if something else happens he will come rushing back to help, no matter what.

"Remember our promise Anchor." Shanks tells Luffy when they are alone on the dock. The small glittering waves swish against the wood.

"I'll never forget it!" Luffy says with a grand smile. Shanks grins and pulls Luffy in for a farewell hug.

"You've been through a lot, but I don't want you to go through any more of it alone, got it?" He asks, face buried in Luffy's shoulder.

"Who says he's going to be alone?" Ace snorts, approaching the pair. Shanks pulls away from Luffy and surprises Ace by puling him into his chest.

"Thank you for everything Ace. I couldn't feel more relaxed having you as Luffy's brother. You're his saviour, so I expect you'll take good care of him in the future." Ace smirks and steps back. He props his arm up on Luffy's head and leans over.

"Of course, he's walking and talking trouble. If I wasn't around he'd be a mess." Luffy whines and punches Ace's hip.

"Dumb Ace! I can beat you up!"

"No you can't, I'm the bigger brother. That means it's my job to be stronger than you." Ace says with a smirk, still putting his weight on Luffy's head.

"I'll show you!" Luffy yells, about to sock Ace. Shanks laughs at their banter then turns around with a fond smile.

"I'm gonna miss you two. See you in the big leagues."

The group parties long after Shanks departs. On the edge of the chaos stands Woop Slap, rubbing his aching forehead with a grimace.

"Pirates are all the same."

He leans on the shiny flagpole next to him. When nobody is looking, he slips a cigarette from his tattered jacket. He holds it over a burning patch of grass until it lights. He puts it in his mouth and then exhales with a heavy sigh.

The smoke rises in the moonlight until it circles the new flag waving boldly above him.

"Huh," Woop Slap hums dazedly. "The Whitebeard Jolly Roger suits this town better than I thought."

 **Line here**

It is all over noble news. Their local slave market was completely destroyed, leaving nothing of value left. Apparently the revolutionary army is responsible, and the nobles are outraged how they always meddle on their affairs. With their anger focused on the rebels, Foosha is but a faraway thought in their stuck up minds, soon to be completely forgotten.

Garp reads the High Town newspaper in his office. It had taken a lot to acquire this artifact, but he managed by pulling a few strings.

The head line reads: "THE REVOLUTIONARIES STRIKE AGAIN!" That is really the only thing Garp wants to read in the paper. All of the articles are extremely bias and only talk about the one thing nobles care about- themselves.

Garp picks up his den den mushi and dials his son's number. He knows it won't take nearly as long to contact him like before, and is proved right when the receiver is picked up.

 _"I take it you've heard."_ Dragon deadpans.

"Yes, and thank you for freeing them." Garp says, relief creeping into his voice.

" _Don't thank me for anything. It's your job to make it up to your grandsons."_

Garp grunts, but smiles, knowing that not all hope is lost.

 **Line here**

3 weeks later...

Rebuilding the village was a fast process. Everyone helped out with clearing out debris, and reconstruction. Even their prized windmills were repaired after they were obliterated by Akainu's attacks.

No one has wandered back down to Foosha for any reason whatsoever. The revolutionary army did a good job of keeping the nobles away like the plague.

But now it is time to leave, after all that they've been through together.

The village sheds tears as the pirates' they've made friends with board their ship to leave for a very very long time. The pirates' stand at the stern, waving wildly even though they still haven't departed. Down below on the docks stands Whitebeard, Marco and Ace. The village is all clumped together in front of them, with Luffy, Makino and Woop Slap in front.

"I know you've definitely heard this a million times these past few weeks, but I thank you. For helping us rebuild our village, and offering us protection." Woop Slap says, gesturing to the Whitebeard Jolly Roger.

"It's nothing-yoi." Marco says when his captain remains oddly silent. "We've come to like this village. It's a nice break from the havoc of the Grand Line."

"I see, but you are welcome to visit anytime!" Woop Slap exclaims, grinning. Marco smiles back, then nudges his captain. Whitebeard snaps out of the trance he had fallen into and laughs sheepishly.

"Gurararara! Of course!" He says amusedly, but it falters.

"Pops?" Ace asks. The fire user looks a little distressed, but not just from his captain's weirdness.

"Is there something on your mind-yoi?"

Whitebeard lips stretch into a firm line. His gaze settles across the group until it lands on Luffy, who looks utterly clueless.

"Brat, are you happy here?" Whitebeard asks. Luffy blinks, then shrugs.

"I mean yeah, it's fine here."

"But are you _happy?_ I know you must have gone on quite the adventure to find us, are you sure you can live without it after such a taste?"

"What are you getting at pops?" Ace asks, a hopeful gleam in his eye. Whitebeard sighs, and stares at Luffy.

Luffy feels the gaze pierce through his skin, through his being. He knows exactly what Whitebeard is going to ask, and he knows his answer.

Adventure never escapes Monkey D. Luffy.

"Do you want to become one of my son's brat?"

 **THE END**

 _I was gonna do a small little insert of Luffy with his crew later, but the ending just wouldn't be as smooth as I want it._

 _Tsutsumimasu = envelop_

 _Shōsan sa semasu = dissipate_

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 **xXQwenStacyXx: Holy crap my eyes popped out of their sockets seeing the length of this review! Haha that's so funny that you almost missed school, it happens to me all the time and I almost miss the bus pretty much every day! I love putting the bonding parts between Luffy and Marco, I just love the type of relationship they can have! I know what you mean by Mary Sue with OC's, I feel the exact same way. That's why I hardly read OC fics, I just end up cringing inside sometimes. So hearing you say that I did an okay job with Anna made me rly relieved! Thanks! Long live angst! Haha, you shouldn't even feel guilty for liking more pain, because it leads to more brother bonding (and that's the best). In this story, it's just Whitebeard and Marco (don't forget Luffy) who know Ace's heritage. He's still sort of struggling with it, but definitely not as much now that his captain accepts him for who he is. Yup, the marines couldn't do crap against two Yonkos, and Shanks is just so awesome I had to make the two captains pair up against Akainu. I didn't write Shanks and Makino together together, but I gave Shanks a little crush on her instead. Thanks for the amazingly long review and I hope you liked this chapter!**

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 **Reader: Here's the chapter, posted in half a month!**

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 _I may end up making a small epilogue chapter after this with some interaction with Luffy's crew and such, so who knows._

 _Anyway, thanks again to anyone who supported this story. I only meant to make this short little story, but it turned into something bigger than I thought. You guys are the best!_

 _I'm starting a new story involving ASL about superheroes and powers and such. So stay tuned for that!_

 _ **See you in another fic,**_

 _ **-UnicornsThatGamble**_


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